Dangerous Threats
by Venquine1990
Summary: Dimitri joins the Cooper Gang and minutes after that things go downhill BAD! Sly's friends get abducted, his cane gets stolen, his beloved gets threatened and his hideout seized. Yet when it ends and all goes back to normal, how will Sly fair when the chance to get into the Vault is both so close and yet so far away. Read how our favorite thief heals from this Dangerous Threat.
1. Confronting The Enemy

_**Dangerous threats**_

 _ **Sly's POV**_

My name is Sly Cooper. I'm a thief, from a long line of Thieves. And not just ordinary thieves, but Master Thieves; people that don't steal from just anyone, but rather criminals and bad guys and other people who just don't deserve what they have. However, while my life has not always been easy, last week it all turned to hell.  
My team and I were actually collecting new members to get into a Vault that we discovered was filled with all the treasure and loot my family has been collecting for generation upon generation, yet just when we had salvaged a favor that Dimitri Lousteau owed us, did something happen of which I'm still not sure what.  
What I do feel sure of is that, after it happened, I somehow woke up in the outskirts of Paris by myself and with no ability to connect with any of my team members and none of them responded to my calls through the ear communicators or the Binocucoms. This worried me and I decided to return home to my hideout.  
However, this turned out not to be an option either as my family ancestral magic had been turned against me, making it so that the roof, garage door and front door were all blocking my entrance with a special force field. Getting in through the sewers wasn't an option either as there were twenty men there waiting to get me.

After discovering all of this, did I finally get to see who exactly was behind all of these weird events and from then on, everything went down the drain. The man in charge for this whole mess was an Arabian Wolf going by the name of Rendell Akudo, who's right-hand man Heffer was as mean of a lowlife as he was.  
He then told me exactly why he had done this and what he wanted of me and when I told him he wouldn't get away with what he had done, did he tell me exactly what would happen if I tried to stop him. And let me tell you, this wolf had definitely thought out each and every step of his plan before conducting it.  
If I were to try and save even one of my friends, the others would be Hate-Chipped and ordered to kill me. If I tried getting back my own hideout, Akudo would send message to one of his men at the Krack-Karov Volcano and have that person throw my cane in there. However, it was his final threat that made me want to give up.  
If I were to try anything that would alert my beloved Carmelita Fox, she would be kidnapped and raped and Akudo even went so far as to tell me how all of his men – which were loyal followers of the menace known as Clockwerk – had a chemical going through them that would make Carmelita pregnant of any men that raped her.  
He then told me how he had 20 men at each of his hideouts waiting with that order and he smirked at me at seeing my absolute devastation before he said: "Now run along and be a good citizen, cause the Cooper Line Profession is officially history." Before closing the windows of my own hideout in my face, leaving me out on the road.

I had, at first, not wanted to believe that the situation was as hopeless as Akudo had portrayed it and, while keeping his little lackeys of my chest, had I tried doing some recon every now and then over the course of the week, yet the more I researched each of his safe-houses the lonelier and distraught I began to feel.  
Akudo knew exactly how to keep my friends captive and because I just didn't have Bentley's brains, Murray's muscle or any of the talents of my other team mates at my beck and call, did I really start to believe that Akudo had done what no other criminal had ever been able to; get one over me and hit me where it hurts the most.  
Sure, Clockwerk had used the Fiendish Five to kill my parents, yet I had recovered from that with help of Bentley and Murray – and now those two were taken from me as well and that was a blow that I realized with every passing day, making me more downtrodden and ready to throw in the towel every morning that I woke up on.

To make matters even worse, had I been sleeping in nothing more than a broken down cardboard box and the rundown blanket someone had thrown out her window two days ago last night and this had done nothing to protect my already weakened body against the frightening thunderstorm that raged through Paris last night.  
Now, I am just reeling in my old, dirtied and smelly shirt, boots, hat and gloves, wishing I wore pants some more and trying to hold back on my umpteenth coughing fit while hiding myself in the shadows across my own hideout, wondering why I am here as the sight of what I cannot have just tears at my heart with every gaze.  
Yet my answer as to why I'm here is answered momentarily as I suddenly see something very strange through my bloodshot, teary eyes; a raccoon that looks so familiar I feel like looking into a mirror that walks the street together with a brown and beige colored badger, a black panther, an alpine goat and a slim looking hippo.

The raccoon pulls halt in front of my own hideout and with a voice I haven't heard myself speak with for over three days, does the Sly Cooper imitator shout: "Akudo, show yourself, you mongrel. Your days are numbered and I'm here to prove it!" And while I fear for whoever this person is, does Akudo listen to him nonetheless.  
The Canadian Wolf with his Mexican Wolf sidekick shows his face through the same window he used to talk to me a week ago and the smirk that is on his face makes me shiver as he asks: "Cooper? You certainly have a lot of guts. And you even have Interpol with you? Didn't I tell you about the consequences of doing so?"  
This makes my very stomach disappear, but then the badger speaks and says: "I, James Barkley, hereby swear upon my honor as Chief of Interpol that Carmelita Montoya Fox does not have any idea of the events that are taking place at this moment." And while these words make me feel relieved, does the badger growl:  
"However, that doesn't mean that my men and I won't finally get done what we wanted to when you suddenly disappeared, you lowlife mongrel." And while I really want to concur with that name, do I suddenly smell something; something that again makes my stomach disappear and my heart flutter at the same time.

I look up from where I am watching this confrontation take place and my whole fur whitens as I see a orange-brown-furred fox with cobalt black-blue hair crouching at the roof of the house beside me, her chocolate brown eyes aimed for the building where Akudo is now leaning over the windowsill as he smoothly asks:  
"Oh really, and how do you people think you can get past this ancient force field, huh?" To this I decide to keep my ears onto the confrontation, while at the same time trying to get higher up through the fire escape that is located closely behind my own hiding spot and while I climb one ladder after another, do I hear a male voice say:  
"By forcing you out. You may think that you have Cooper cornered, but anyone with brains knows never to corner a Raccoon. They do things you would never expect them; such as putting their own place on fire to smoke you out." And while these words make me almost fall down the staircase I am on, do I turn my face to them.

The one who spoke is the male alpine goat, who now has a small remote control in his hand and while the female slim-looking hippo breaks a very familiar sewage pit open, does the goat push a button which makes a small green looking Remote Controlled Car ride into the sewer, Akudo looking at it before the Goat says:  
"That sewage pipe leads to a ventilation system that is connected to Cooper, Turtle and Hippo's bedroom and we all know what is stalled within Cooper's room." To which the fake Cooper growls: "Something you don't deserve to keep your hands on." The glare he sends Akudo actually showing the anger I feel in my heart.  
This makes me look at whoever this fake is before, with the fact that I don't want to see my own place be turned to ashes, I continue the climb and finally, quietly, reach the incredible vixen that is crouched down on the flat roof at the corner near the side road I was in and do I stealthily approach her, lying a hand on her shoulder.

The vixen tenses in shock and turns to me, her chocolate brown eyes widening as she whispers: "Cooper? Is – is that you?" And because I haven't seen a mirror in over a week, do I not even want to know how I currently look, yet I nod nonetheless before Akudo's words about what he'd do to her if she came here make me hiss:  
"What are you doing here? Didn't you just hear Barkley? You're not supposed to know what is going on here." But the fox just smiles at me caringly, something I never expected to see from her and she whispers back: "That little mouse friend of yours needs some stealth and environment training if she ever has secret info to share again."  
This shocks the living daylights out of me and makes my stomach drop at the same time as I ask: "Wait, what? That's Penelope?" Carmelita nods and I start to shiver, fearing with all that I am that I will see my friends sometime today and that it will mean my end, but then Carmelita breaks my train of thought and whispers:  
"Cooper, relax. Your friend assured Barkley that no one at the hideout where she was held knows that she's gone. She had a RC car that she adapted and modeled to show some kind of virtual reality image of her. They won't find out that she's gone for another 2 days." And these words have the desired effect of calming me down.

Then, as I rethink what Carmelita just told me, do I realize something and ask: "Wait, virtual reality? Does that mean –?" And when I look back at where my hideout is located, do I see Carmelita nod her head from the corner of my eye and do I let out the first sigh of relief I have allowed myself to release all week.  
I then want to continue observing the scene before me, one where Akudo is still visible, but where Heffer has disappeared from sight when suddenly I notice something glimmer besides me and when I turn my face back, do my bloodshot eyes widen in absolute disbelief at what I see is being held in Carmelita's hand.  
Hardwood black wood, a slim circular build that feels smooth to the touch and easy to hold, a golden end at the top that is shaped and bend like the letter C; my father's cane – which I believed was taken to Krack-Karov Volcano is now in the hand of my actual crush and when I look from the cane, to her does she softly say:  
"Penelope and Barkley decided to take the risk of you losing your cane, but I've been on your case long enough to know where that thing came from. Like I said, they didn't even notice I was there, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. How about you and I crash that party when Akudo brings up this little problem?"

This makes me shiver in fear for her, but while she keeps one hand on my cane, does she let the other return to my shoulder as she says: "I promise I'll be careful. I took one of Barkley's new water guns that has the same firepower as my own shock-pistol and I will use all of my abilities were I to feel threatened, I swear it."  
This makes me take a deep breath before I nod reluctantly and whisper: "Do not leave my side under any circumstances, understand?" Carmelita nods and then suddenly I feel something being released from the house across the street, making me turn back to the hideout and the events taking place there with lightning speed.  
There I see Akudo and Heffer running out of the Hideout, the fury on Akudo's face only temporary as he suddenly gets assaulted by Barkley and his water gun, yet even from this distance can I easily see that it's not water that Barkley is shooting down Akudo's throat and while the panther runs for Heffer, does the fake rush for Akudo.  
There he shockingly enough clamps both his hands – or should I say her – over Akudo's muzzle and nose, forcing the wolf to gulp down whatever Barkley just forced down his throat before he punches the person, yet Penelope Cooper seems not to care for the harsh blow dealt to her as she just grins and speaks with her own voice:

"You're officially done for, Akudo." The wolf looks shocked at hearing Penelope's voice and the mouse goes on: "Also –." She then pulls at something near her neck and actually pulls a perfect full body mask off her face, revealing her rodent appearance and long curly blond hair, shocking the wolf as she says:  
"Also, never underestimate anyone who's a member of the Cooper Gang. Just because I was a Flight expert for the ACES competition, doesn't mean I don't know my way around small little RC cars or –." And while she moves her head over to his ear, can I still hear her loud and clear from across the street as she happily whispers:  
"Virtual reality." This makes the entire stance of the large Arabian wolf tense in shock before suddenly he starts to heave, fall on his knees and starts to actually throw up several meals, gasping between heaves as he asks: "What – what did – what did you – did you – did you feed me, you – you – YOU –!"

Yet when he seems unable to insult her, does Penelope grin with her hands on her hips as she says: "Just a mix of water, the chemical your metal can't stand and bitter orange, which Barkley was kind enough to inform me about that you're allergic to. But don't worry, I only put enough into it to make you heave and faint."  
And the wolf himself proves my team mate right as he actually faints, to which I decide to put my focus on Barkley, who actually has Heffer by his tail, the Mexican wolf tense with pain as he seems completely paralyzed while his face is showing his feared shocked reaction to what actually happened to his boss.  
Then the wolf tries with great strain to grab his radio and when he has it in front of his muzzle, does Barkley aim his water gun at the back of the wolf's head and does he say: "Yeah, you better use that little radio of yours, buster. And you better tell that little friend of yours in Russia to get Cooper back his cane pronto."

At this Carmelita sends me a playful grin with a raised eyebrow as if silently asking me: "Shall we?" And while I send her a quick look reminding her of the promise she made me, do I nod and focus on the energy I felt being released from my hideout earlier and do I make a perfect jump with several summersaults before landing.  
Everyone looks at me shocked and then Heffer shouts: "What is she doing here?" To which I see Carmelita landing besides me and she happily aims her shock-pistol at the wolf as she says: "I'm only here because little Penelope – while very clever to contact Interpol – needs to keep a better eye on her surroundings from now on."  
The mouse turns red and asks: "How – how much did you hear?" And the shiver that runs down the fox's spine makes me worry greatly for the precious little creature beside me before she harshly growls: "Everything, including what these lowlifes were planning with me were I to get involved in their little scheme against Cooper.  
I also heard how you were planning to risk Sly's cane and decided against that, so while you guys started thinking up your brilliant counter plan, did I use some of my own connections within Interpol to get me a jet plane and did I land several feet away from the Volcano, far enough I could easily sneak up on the Cane Holder."

This makes both the mouse that is still standing over Akudo and the badger that is holding onto Heffer's tail smile at the fox before the wolf himself growls and says: "You're going –." But before he can even finish his sentence, have I rushed over on what little energy I have left and do I have my cane pressed against his throat.  
The feeling of that smooth black wood in my gloved hand makes me get a rush of serenity and contentment that makes the little energy I have left within me – which is dwindling thanks to the cold I have – stay strong and while Heffer looks shocked to see me actually having my cane back and aimed at him, do I growl:  
"You will do absolutely nothing to her, do you hear me? You and that disgusting leader of yours used Ancient Cooper magic against a Cooper and now that that magic has returned to me and is protecting and strengthening me once more, do we both know what this means for you, don't we you insolent little pup?"

And by the way that the wolf's very fur whitens do I know that I am correct, which makes me smirk as I say: "Exactly. By using ancient Cooper Magic against me and failing, do I now have rights for revenge for as long as the magic is old. And we both know that the spells you used to keep me out of my own hideout – are 500 years old."  
Everyone tenses in shock at this and then I take the radio out of the tense wolf's hand and press the call button as I say: "This is Sly Cooper calling all men working under Rendell Akudo and Heffer. The spellwork used to keep me out of my hideout has fallen, the Cooper magic is mine again and I have my cane back in my possession.  
Furthermore are both your boss and his partner now in custody of Interpol and has the magic of the Cooper Line granted me a full 500 years of retribution against anyone working for the caster, Akudo. So you all have two options; keep my friends hostage and get me on your neck or try to flee from Interpol with my friends released.  
Your choice." I then hiss at the end before using the radio still in my hand to give a brutal punch into the back of Heffer's head, causing for the wolf to lose consciousness like his leader and then carelessly throw the radio back to him, before suddenly my fur starts bristling like a warning and I instantly rush back to Carmelita.

The fox looks shocked as I rush at her and when she sees me raise my cane in an attack does she duck, which is exactly what I want her to do as it allows me to swing the golden tip of my cane straight into the jaw of a large, overgrown Black Shepherd, knocking the fully furred animal straight into the building behind him.  
Carmelita looks behind her in shock and I hiss at myself: "I should have stayed close to you, damnit." But the Fox smiles at me and then suddenly sees something at her feet, making me look down at where I see another manhole cover be slightly tilted and where a pair of greedy brownish black eyes are staring up at the fox.  
The vixen glares at the greedy look in the eyes and aims her shock-pistol at the creature, which strangely enough shocks him, but makes me lay a hand on her weapon. She looks at me and while I aim the tip of my own cane at the rotten beast, do I say: "Don't bother, their metal resists the shocks coming from your gun."

But then Penelope aggravates me as she asks: "What are you talking about, Sly? Their metal is weak to electricity, it causes for the whole system within them to shut down." This shocks and aggravates me and then I scream out in pure, unadulterated rage, shocking everyone around me before I glare at the two unconscious wolves.  
"Are you kidding me? Those two there swore no weapons of Interpol could be used against them. Said they were resistant to any and all electricity. Are you telling me they lied to me? That I could have just nicked some shock-pistol from Interpol and solved this entire mess the same day they took us all apart and started all of this?"  
And while the officers around me look a little agitated with the idea of me nicking their stuff, does Penelope still nod at me and ask: "Are you really that surprised that they lied to you, Sly? It's not just about that that they lied, you know?" This doesn't do anything to the anger I feel keeping my weakness at bay and I ask:  
"What else did they lie about?" And when Penelope doesn't answer me, but only looks at Carmelita with an uncomfortable look on her face, do I instantly feel all of my anger disappearing and being replaced with an even greater concern for the vixen besides me and while feeling my weakness returning, do I mutter:

"How?" The mouse cringes at hearing my weakened voice and says: "I – I know what they told you they would do to her if they caught her, Sly, but – but while they were in the intend to capture her, did you getting her involved or not involved not really matter to them. They intended to capture her whether you did or didn't."  
This makes sweat break out and makes the fox besides me whiten, making me reach out to her on instinct and pull her close as I silently ask Penelope to continue and while the mouse now wraps her arms around herself in distress, does she say: "Sly, they – they wanted her – to ehm – produce the next generation of the Criminal Empire."  
This makes the officers around Penelope look at her in pure shock, while Carmelita lets out a high-pitched sound of sheer distress and while my tail tenses with raging fury at what I hear, do I ignore the anger surging through my veins as I instead focus on the terrified vixen in my arms, pulling her closer to offer her my comfort.  
The fox hides her face in my dirty shirt and while hoping that I can soon clean myself and give her the strong powerful person that can protect and guard over her that she currently needs, do I keep my hold on her soft and caring as I turn to the shocked Badger standing besides my youngest team member and angrily hiss at him:

"Chief, these three are leaving now and Carmelita is not to return to Interpol until you have made sure they and all of their men are in several prisons across the world, securely watched and contained and without any possible chance of escaping or coming after her, understand? I will not risk her, not around those sick minds."  
The badger nods and with help of the panther, the hippo and the goat, does he drag his three suspects out of the street, Penelope looking after them and me keeping my focus on the trembling fox in my arms, my illness catching up with me yet again, yet my personal strength keeping me from showing this to the terrified fox in my arms.  
I then turn to Penelope and say: "Go into the hideout, Penelope, and pull my blanket off my bed. Carmelita and I need it." The fox keeps shivering in my hold and wraps one of her arms, which at first had been resting against my chest, around my waist, while Penelope nods and rushes into the small square shaped house.

I then refocus back on Carmelita and move her gently over to the small set of steps that is staged in front of our hideout and seat her down on my lap as I sit down myself, the cold stone of the steps not really reaching me as I already feel badly affected by my own cold, and instead of that do I just pull Carmelita closer against me.  
A few minutes later does Penelope come back with a large, dark blue blanket and she wraps it around both me and Carmelita, the cold of the outside air and the stone steps under my furred bottom making me finally feel my cold more than I feel the warmth coming off of the fox in my arms and I shiver as I smile gratefully at the mouse.  
The mouse smiles back and asks: "Are you okay, Sly? You look pretty bad, you know?" And while Carmelita now looks up at me, the concern that shines in her eyes warming me from the inside, do I take a deep breath as I say: "I'm not a solo guy, Penelope, and sleeping under the stars is a little hard when there's a storm passing by."  
The two females look at me in concern and then, while tightening my grip on Carmelita and turning my face away from both of them, do I release a large bout of painful coughing, part of me feeling as if I will follow Akudo's example and start puking, yet the way that Carmelita hugs me and Penelope slaps my back helping me.

I take some deep breaths, pull part of the blanket closer against me and sit up a little to allow the blanket to fall under my legs, keeping the cold floor from reaching my fur and skin and then look up, my eyes widening and my heart soaring as I suddenly see two people I have been missing like nothing else coming my way.  
A green turtle with very thick glasses who is riding a wheelchair and a large pink hippo whose muscles seem hidden within his thick fat and who has a pair of large brown eyes that are staring at me in great worry as he runs at me behind the turtle, who moves his wheelchair at breakneck speed to reach me and the girls.  
"Sly, are you alright? You look awful, buddy." The hippo then says, yet the sight of them both alright and well is the last thing my fragile grown mind can take and while feeling slightly sorry for Carmelita for dropping her, do I rush at my two friends, pulling Bentley out of his wheelchair as I crash myself against Murray's bulk.

The Hippo apparently expected this as he quickly hugs both me and Bentley and pulls my legs off the floor as he does, moving us both over to where Carmelita is now standing next to Penelope and seating himself down on the open blanket, pulling it around the three of us as he seats me on one of his legs and Bentley on the other.  
Bentley then starts to rhythmically slap his fists on his own shell while Murray moves his hand up and down my back in an even pattern and while Penelope moves to cover all three of us with the blanket once more, do I close my eyes as I lean against Murray, the petting and sound of the Bentley knocking on his shell lulling me to sleep.

* * *

 _ **And that is it!  
**_ _ **OKAY, so the first chapter was mostly about an OC event that took place after the defeat of Captain Lefwee and while I am sure many of you wonder what exactly happened, how it all took place, who Akudo is and whatnot, did I decide to start this story just when Sly was proven to have over won another enemy.  
**_ _ **Yet, because he didn't do it himself and because of what he said before Bentley and Murray arrived, will this story still have plenty of content to deal with as it will mostly be about Sly when he is at his weakest and how a Raccoon like him gets back on his feet after dealing with something as personally painful as this.  
**_ _ **Also, yes! This will be a SlyxCarmelita story, this will be a BentleyxPenelope story and no! This will not have any inclusion of either the Cooper Vault – other than a few mentions perhaps at the epilogue – or anything regarding Sly 4. Penelope stays with the Cooper Gang and so does Sly, so no time machine for Le Paradox.  
**_ _ **See you next month,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	2. Enemy Plans

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **I really hope you read my bottom AN of the last chapter as there is REALLY IMPORTANT INFO there regarding most of my stories. Either way, this chapter will be about the rest of the day after Sly fell asleep and will have a few more shocks and painful experiences happening to Carmelita and the Cooper Gang now that they're home.  
**_ _ **Also, YES, there are mentions of people wanting to rape Carmelita, but I will never go further than that. Mentioning it and items that can be used for it, yes. Actually writing about the act actually taking place, whether it be with a Willing Carmelita or not, HECK TO THE NO! I know it's not allowed, so I won't do it.  
**_ _ **Capish? Good,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 02**_

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

I had already seen Cooper spotting his friends before the Hippo called and had expected for the Raccoon to forget about me when seeing them again and Cooper had proven me right, yet I had been able to catch myself before I could fall and the way that Sly was held by his friends had made the last of my worries abate.  
However, the way that Murray and Bentley seem to know exactly what to do and how they easily, almost instinctively, move themselves to the steps, sit down and start their little procedure that actually puts Cooper to sleep worries me as it can only mean that this isn't the first time the two saw their friend in a state like this.  
Murray then pulls the blanket off himself and Bentley and wraps Cooper in it as if he were an infant before he asks: "Bentley?" And the turtle nods as he says: "I'll stay here to await the others. Penelope, go with Murray and check Sly's health. He felt really hot to the touch when we held him and I doubt that's out of emotional stress."

The mouse nods and while she moves along with the Hippo, do I say: "Cooper was being kept from his own safe-house, Bentley and that meant he had to stay the night outside last night." The turtle nods and says: "He never did fair well during storms." Making me worry for the Raccoon all the more before Bentley asks:  
"So what brings you here, Carmelita? I mean, I saw Interpol cars driving off so why aren't you with them?" But I shake my head, the things that Penelope discovered making me wish I was back in Cooper's arms as his lean form and strong arm muscles had made me feel as if I were well-protected from the world and I say:  
"Sly ordered Barkley not to allow me back at Headquarters until all members of Akudo's team have been dealt with, seeing what their actual plans for me were." But when Bentley cocks his head, do I wonder how the female mouse knows what this brainiac turtle doesn't and I can't help but ask: "You didn't know?"

The turtle shakes his head before he suddenly gets some kind of message from his ear and presses it as he says: "It's safe, Dimitri. Sly ordered her to stay with us until the situation with Akudo was dealt with." And with that does a Marine Iguana with a suit that could fit well into the 80's walk around the corner a few blocks to the left.  
With him are a small purplish koala with large walking cane and long beard and an intimidating Panda with two cans attached to his back that are obviously meant to be holding his fireworks and the koala speaks in his native tongue as he asks: "What exactly is the situation with her who we watched over while she slept?"  
And while I can easily remember the pictures Cooper and his friends took with my photo camera, does this memory not make me feel any better or suppress the emotions caused by Penelope's news as Bentley shakes his head and says: "I don't know. All I know is that Sly won and that Akudo's men are now fleeing for their freedom."

This in itself actually makes me feel worse and I shiver as I ask: "Bentley, can I go in? I'd rather not be out in the open until those bastards have been caught." The turtle looks at me, his shock that I am actually scared causing for the concern in his eyes to grow and while he lies a hand on my back, does he wheel me indoors.  
The first room I enter is one with broken down furniture and some walls showing peeled off paint while the floor itself is perfectly spotless and the ceiling actually shows off several very beautiful paintings of foxes, weasels, martyrs and raccoons either fighting each other or sharing fruits and other things with each other.  
This mix of broken and fixed makes me feel a little baffled and while Bentley moves forward, does he say: "We mix old with new to give people the sense that they are wondering if someone really lives here and at the same time, if they know we live here, that they believe this to be the reason behind our chosen profession."

I nod and then Bentley brings out one of his robotic arms and slams it down on the floor, allowing for a small set of floorboards to be pushed up and fall back, revealing a circular stone staircase that seems to lead a very long way down and while Bentley activates the boosters on his wheelchair do I slowly walk down the staircase.  
Only then do I notice how the other members of the Cooper Gang are following the both of us, Dimitri closing the panel on the floor behind him and Guru using the moonstone on his walking stick to light the way after this, while the light of the stone also illuminates that it's not just Bentley who has become worried due to my fear.  
Feeling touched that I am cared for by these two people – while one of them is a highly dangerous criminal with a ridiculously large record – do I still wish that Sly was here and I ask: "Bentley, how did you and Murray know how to treat Sly so well when he rushed at you guys? Did – did something like this – happen before?"

But while Bentley sighs and shakes his head, does he then say: "No, but this certainly isn't the first time where Sly faces something his emotional strength just can't handle. After all, let's face one clear fact, Carmelita. While Sly may prove an unbeatable force of nature, he stays a traumatized raccoon in his early twenties."  
At this I nod and Bentley says: "So while this hasn't happened before – at least not like it happened now – have there definitely been moments where Sly faced a foe he wished he didn't and where – after the fight – his actual emotions caught up with him. Sly's the kind of guy that sometimes puts his ideals before his emotions, you know."  
And while I nod, do I feel my concerns for the Raccoon – which had started to grow when I saw him appear next to me on the roof – grow more than ever before and without really knowing why I do this, do I ask: "Is there – is there anything I can do? You know, to make him feel better? He really came through for me as well, you know?"  
The turtle seems contemplative of this as we reach what appears to be the living room and while he rolls himself over to a large purple couch where Panda King and Guru take place and where Guru motions me to do so as well, does Bentley seem to have thought of something as his face starts lighting up while he says:

"You know what, Carmelita. I think there might be something you can do. I really – _really_ – think there might be." This makes relief almost overpower the fear that is in my heart and then Guru asks: "Why does fear cloud a heart that is so full of love?" Shocking me and making everyone look at me in renewed worry.  
Then Penelope and Murray enter the room, both of them looking slightly grim with Penelope looking it just a little bit more than Murray and the mouse says: "It's because of Akudo." Everyone turns to her and she takes a deep breath before she says: "I don't know why, but it seems as if I was the only one of us they underestimated.  
Right the first day that I woke up in my cell, did I manage to get them convinced to give me a little toy-car and when I saw Sly crawling through the airvent above my cell, did I feel confident that I would reunite with my leader and later my team. However, when two days had passed, did I decide to search Sly out myself."

Everyone nods and the mouse continues, now seated at a dark reddish chair that actually almost looks purple as she says: "However, in the days between me arriving there and me escaping, which was yesterday, did I get the chance to fully hear all those out that were ordered to keep me sedated and they believed I was because of the car."  
At this the mouse rolls her eyes before she takes a deep breath and says: "I heard why Sly didn't try to get us loose the minute he realized we were captured, why he seemed so upset with his own work – and I did see that when I saw him – and why there wasn't even a sign of Carmelita attempting to capture him during the week.  
Akudo had Sly completely against the wall with his back through several threats and trust me, they were all as bad the one before them. The threat against releasing us was that we would be Hate-Chipped and ordered to kill Sly." This makes Murray release a small terrified scream and Penelope nods empathically before she says:  
"The threat against Sly doing anything that came natural to him? Akudo stole his cane and send it off to the Krack-Karov Volcano. If it hadn't been for Carmelita, it would have been burned to shreds this very day because Barkley and I believed it the one thing Sly would be most willing to sacrifice out of all three threats.

And I say three, because Carmelita's – is the downright worst." The girl ends with tremors sounding through her voice and while I have now taken place alongside the Guru and Panda King, do I really wish to be back in Cooper's arms as I just can't stand hearing this a second time without him before I ask: "Can I be excused?"  
Penelope nods and says: "Sly's room is the first one on the right up the staircase on your left." I nod, feeling glad that the mouse understands for my need to be with the Raccoon and before anyone can ask why Penelope told me that, do I rush out, not even caring if I worry the others more with how badly I don't want to hear this.  
I rush through the doorway in the right wall of the living room and instantly turn left, dashing up the staircase and into the first door on my left, where the sight in front of me makes me halt in my tracks quite suddenly. No hat, no mask, no gloves and still Sly Cooper looks dashing and very handsome – while fast asleep.

The Raccoon has one hand lying on the pillow besides his face and is using the other to – while sleeping – keep the blanket pulled over his shoulder and while he no longer has the black mask on, is the fur around his eyes an almost perfect match of color between his own grey and the black satin that his mask is made of.  
The stripes that are on his nose are even accentuated thanks to the color of the fur around his eyes and while I wonder why Cooper never shows this incredible hue to the world, do I then let my eyes wander through the room, part of me feeling quite impressed by the tidiness and the structure that I see shown around the room.  
The floor itself is made of hardcover wood, yet there is a large circular rug that is mostly covered by the four-poster prince-sized bed upon which the Raccoon is sleeping. There is a balcony showing behind the bed and besides this a rack is build into the wall from which Sly's cane is dangling along with his hat and his mask.  
The wall next to that is covered with several pictures, some of them depicting Sly, others his friends and some even depicting me, which makes me send a raised eyebrow at the few that I actually recognize. Next to that is the corner leading to the right wall and this one has a desk with drawers above and below set in the corner.  
Besides the desk there is a large two-door wardrobe with several drawers underneath the two doors and finally does the whole interior end with a large pedestal that seems to be heavily protected with some kind of force field made of lasers and upon which an ancient tome with golden and blue writing is showcased.

The book, for some reason, rings a faint bell in the back of my mind and I can't help but whisper: "The whole book Cooper went after the Fiendish Five for. What's so important about that thing anyway?" And while making sure not to make another sound, do I sneak over to where the lasers keep me from taking the book.  
I look at the ancient tome, the fact that it looks in pristine condition while also showing signs of having been torn and having aged for a few centuries intriguing me before I read the title written half in gold and half in blue. "The Thievius Raccoonus. Definitely sounds like something Cooper would be interested in."  
I then send a playful smirk at the sleeping Raccoon, noticing how he has actually moved and is now lying on his back with his muzzle wide open and one arm strewn above his head, the sight itself so unlike the ever agile and smooth-moving thief that I used to chase that I can't help the soft giggle that escapes my throat.

Sly, however, grunts at hearing my giggle and I stop quickly, remembering how downtrodden Murray and Penelope looked and knowing it must be because Cooper is definitely sick and I take another look around the room before suddenly noticing how there aren't any new cloths set out for Cooper and I can't help but think:  
"Cooper's been living in the same outfit for over a week. Surely he'll need to put on a new shirt when he wakes." And I decide quickly to take matters into my own hands, moving silently across the room to where the wardrobe is located and pulling open the double doors, only to gasp in utter shock at what I see here.

Where I was expecting shirts, some turtlenecks and other outfits I sometimes saw Cooper wear when disguised, does the left side the wardrobe actually have a whole rack filled with dresses of all kinds of materials and colors, yet all of them the same size and it takes me only a few more seconds of gazing before I realize:  
"They're my size. Why are there dresses of my size in Cooper's wardrobe? And why have I never seen these cloths when they're supposedly meant for me?" At this I take another closer look at the whole wardrobe before suddenly Bentley asks: "Carmelita?" Making Sly grunt and making me whirl around to face him.  
The turtle looks at me with the same cocked head as before, while his eyes don't show his curiosity, only the pain he feels over what Penelope told him and he asks: "What's wrong?" And while I send a worried glance Sly's way, who just grunts again and lies himself to face the balcony before starting to snore, do I ask:

"Bentley, why are there dresses in Sly Cooper's wardrobe?" The green turtle looks shocked and asks: "Why are there what?" And I whisper as I continue: "Dresses. A whole set of them. And they all appear to be my size. What's with that, Bentley? Why does Cooper have dresses in his wardrobe that are meant for me?"  
The turtle rolls over to join me at the wardrobe and takes a close look inside, adjusting his glasses before he suddenly shocks me as he asks: "Why are these here and not in the special room?" This makes me send him a raised eyebrow and I ask: "Special room?" Making Bentley cringe and turn quite a nice shade of red.  
"Follow me." He then whispers and rolls back out of the bedroom, me sending the dresses one last appreciative look, as they do look quite nice, before following the turtle and when we have closed Sly's door behind me, does Bentley motion me to follow him with his head and does he lead me further down the hall.

We stop at a door that is on the left of the hallway and three doors down from where Cooper sleeps and Bentley releases another deep breath before he says: "Carmelita, you've always noticed that Sly treats you with a certain kindness and respect that he doesn't easily show others, right?" I nod, feeling slightly touched and he says:  
"That's because, like me and Murray, you made an instant connection with Sly's heart the minute you guys first met. The same happened with me and Murray when Sly first met us after he got told that we all had to share a room at the orphanage from then on and that – for someone like Sly – is a very important thing."  
This, while I feel slightly overwhelmed at the idea that I share the same kind of connection with Cooper as the one he shares with people he has known for 15 years, makes me smile at the turtle and he smiles back before he says: "Carmelita, if there is one thing that makes Sly special, it's how far he is willing to go for those he cares for."  
He then takes a deep breath and says: "And for you, Sly went all out, even while he knew just fine that your professional differences would always keep you apart. Sly dreamed and from his dreams – well, he made this." And with that does he use one of his mechanical arms to open the door we are standing at, allowing me entrance.

I walk in and gasp at the sight around me. Soft beige painted walls that have a white ornamental line at both the top and bottom. A beautiful ceiling depicting all kinds of beautiful foxes and raccoons in ancient Greek outfits. Dark purple curtains covering four gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows that have a bow at the top.  
A queen-sized bed that is made of alabaster wood and that has soft beige and broken white covers, curtains, bedspreads, pillows and comforters. Two wardrobes that are identical to Cooper's but then of the same alabaster white wood as the four posters of the bed, a door leading off a new room and that is made of a slightly darker wood.  
Another four-drawer filled wardrobe actually standing between the two wardrobes against the left wall and finally a large dresser with ornamental mirror at the top and with several pull out drawers on both sides of the mirror. And finally the floor being made of a dark broken white rug that makes me want to touch it with only my bare feet.

The room I am in looks absolutely as if it came out of some kind of movie depicting a Greek Goddess and while I can barely believe my eyes, do I breathlessly whisper: "Co-Cooper made – made all this?" Bentley nods and says: "Sowed the curtains, the bedspreads, the pillowcases, the comforters and several other things himself.  
Painted the walls with his own tail and brushes. Had Murray help him hang up the curtains and almost emptied half his entire cove to buy all the equipment and the furniture you see in this room. And when I saw almost half, I mean it, Carmelita. We needed to pull seventeen heists within a month to get back on track after he bought all this."  
This shocks me enough I stumble and seat myself on the dresser chair and I ask: "This – all – all of this is – is bought?" Then suddenly, due to my new position, do I notice something lying on the floor besides the queen-sized bed and I feel confused and conflicted as I ask: "Even that chain with neck-cuff over there?"

Bentley again looks as confused as he did when I asked him about the dresses and he moves over to where I am pointing at, me glad that he closed the door behind him as he suddenly shouts: "WHAT IN COOPER'S NAME IS THAT DOING THERE!" Making me instantly know that it wasn't something Cooper bought.  
Bentley then points one of his guns at it and actually causes for a mini-bomb to go off, causing for a small tremor to go through the floor as the chain gets bolted off of the floor, the bolts that kept it to the floor shooting in several directions and one of them hitting the bed, causing for the comforter to fall back to the foot of the bed.  
However, this again makes me see something that disturbs me, yet when I take another look at it and how unusual it looks in connection with everything else, does the info Penelope provided me with earlier come back to me and I gasp, feeling fear and disgust rage through me before I rush straight back out of this room.

I run for Sly's and while part of me wants to just dash to his balcony and leap to wherever I can to escape this place, do I instead listen to the part of me that has been wanting to be back in Cooper's arms since he was covered up by the blanket and brought to bed and do I jump into the bed itself, cuddling with Cooper's back.  
The Raccoon seems slightly unsettled by this as he grunts and grumbles, yet doesn't wake and while his body does feel much warmer to the touch than usual, do I push myself closer to this heat, wanting to feel it as it feels almost comforting and using it, alongside Cooper's presence and heartbeat, to lull myself into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's it!  
**_ _ **So, a little more about the plans made up by Akudo and his gang have been revealed and Carmelita gets a little bit of a firmer grip on the reality of what would have awaited her had Penelope not taken the actions she did, summoning Interpol and taking care of Akudo before he could try anything worse.  
**_ _ **Now as to what the item on the bed was, it was a rope. One with a loop at the end that was supposed to restrain someone's hand. I will be bringing this into a little more detail next chapter, but for now did I feel this to be a good place to end the story as the two chapters together already make for thirteen pages on Word.  
**_ _ **That's enough for me,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	3. Bentley Takes Action

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Good news, I am re-editing Preventing Trouble. Bad news, I just realized that the whole set of chapters that describes the events taking place between reading PS/SS and CoS are pretty much impossible to take place as they did as I describe Harry moving around – while he's still in a wheelchair!  
**_ _ **Seriously, not my best work – and probably one of the reasons I decided to just stop this blasted story after it got deleted. Either way, there will be a lot more editing needed than I first thought and while there are still parts that I am happy with, do I now feel bad as the time editing this baby will take longer than I intended.  
**_ _ **Anyway, enjoy**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 03**_

 _ **Bentley's POV**_

When the goons working Akudo gave me back my wheelchair, rolled me out of their safe house and then made a dash for it, screaming about Interpol while wishing me luck on the road, did I sincerely believe that all the nightmares and problems my team and I have faced the last week had finally come to an end.  
Yet, coming home, seeing Carmelita there, having to lull Sly to sleep in order to prevent him from having an emotional breakdown, hearing he had been out at night during a really heavy storm, hearing what Akudo had planned for Carmelita and discovering the changes made to the Special Room made me realize different.  
Akudo may be in Interpol Custody, but Sly was still in need of help and Carmelita – while not directly involved in anything – is going to need a lot of support as she must have never been used as a victim like this, let alone have people after her for reasons such as those of Akudo and his men; reasons that should never even exist.

To have heard of my own girlfriend what Carmelita would have gone through had Penelope and Barkley not pulled off their little master plan had made me race after the poor vixen, knowing she would be in Sly's room and sincerely hoping this new experience would give my little brother the chance he always wanted.  
Sly has been caring and concerned for Carmelita and her health ever since the Krack-Karov Volcano and had always done everything he could to keep her safe, saving her from the Gas Chamber and the Re-Education Tower, helping her in her fight against Clock-La and breaking the control the Mask of Dark Earth had on her.  
Combine that with all the other ways Sly always made sure that Carmelita could bust this or that criminal, do I know that it was just their professional differences that always kept Carmelita away from the Raccoon, yet now it's that same Raccoon that the female Fox – I just know – will be leaning on the most.

Still, when I find her in front of Sly's wardrobe and discover that it's filled with all the dresses Sly ever made for the fox – having learned how to sow and knit from his mother at age 5 – was not something I had wanted to find out and had made me decide to check on the one room Sly had always considered special in our Hideout.  
I had used this chance to give Carmelita a little hint as to how important Sly considered her and while I had sincerely hoped to make the fox feel a little better, had the sight of the neck-chain that we had found not improved my mood. Yet I had made the mistake of bombing it and that had caused for Carmelita to find something.  
Something that made the ever confident and headstrong vixen actually flee the room Sly had designed for her and I had rolled my wheelchair over to where Carmelita had made her discovery, the rope with the loop at the end making me feel pretty bad, the others I find making me feel even worse and the whole scene bringing forth a realization.

"Penelope's discovery. Car-car-Carmelita's fate." I had stuttered and had only barely restrained myself from using my boosters to get back to Carmelita, finding her in Sly's room, cuddled up to my younger brother and the look of feared terror that adorned her face made me hate Akudo more than any criminal I have ever faced.  
I now decide to face this problem and close the door to my brother's room before I use my ear-communicator and say: "Murray, Panda King, I need you both upstairs. I just found evidence of Penelope's revelation and I just cannot accept for it to remain within this hideout for one more minute, do you understand me?"  
And while I try not to speak the actual words of what Penelope told us, does Murray growl: "On my way, Buddy." Before Panda King asks: "Will you be in need of my –?" To which, before he can finish, I answer: "Your strongest, yet also your quietest. Sly and Carmelita are asleep and I don't want them to wake before dinner."

I hear confirmation coming from both and wheel back to the Special room, working on one of the ropes I had found on the incredible bed – that Sly had worked on for a good week by out buying several trees that were actually supposed to be used to make printing paper and using nothing but his cane and plenty of spikes and bolts.  
Untying at least two of them before Murray leads Panda King into the room, do I turn to them both and show them one of the ropes and the metal chain, their eyes widening and I say: "This was to be her room, whether Sly lived here or not. Let's make sure she will forget what Akudo wanted her here for, shall we?"  
The two nod and I say: "Murray, use your strength to pull anything and everything you find off the floor, walls and ceiling. Anything either you or I don't recognize as something Sly put there gets removed. Panda King, make sure not to make too much noise and get started on the contents in that wardrobe there, if you would."  
This shocks Murray and I turn back to the third rope as I say: "Don't worry, Carmelita's outfits were all moved to Sly's room. The stuff in there is purely Akudo's and deserves to be destroyed." The two nod and get to work, Panda King moving everything out off the room before he blows it up in order to keep the floor clear off marks.

The removal of items and so-called toys doesn't take all that long and while I wonder why such a large group would only rely on such a small amount of items, does Murray open the bathroom, his eyes widening before he loudly shouts: "THAT MONSTER!" Making both me and Panda King rush over to what he's seeing.  
The entire bathroom is made of the most expensive tiles and has only the thickest of glass windows, some of them stationed around a very expensive looking shower and the shiniest of mirrors, but in front of the mirror, against the walls of the shower, build into the wall and even over the toilet – are tons and tons of chains.  
Chains dangling from the walls, cuffs build up either against or into the walls, a whole set of armor made of chains only hanging down from the ceiling in front of the mirror. Everywhere we look there are chains and while I can barely believe what Akudo was willing to do, does Panda King seem to understand why this is here.  
"A bathroom is made to make someone feel clean and fresh once more. By putting all this here, they elude those that dare sneak in as one usually keeps their bathroom door closed, yet at the same time they prove to Inspector Fox that she belongs to them and that she should accept what they demand to give to her at all times."

This makes Murray almost cause several dents in the wooden door and I quickly use one of my robotic arms to pinch him so he can be alerted to this, while at the same time I just want to gather the entire team together and go on an all-out man hunt before I just simply hiss: "Let her rip, boys. No chain stays untouched."  
The two nod and while we now cause for several of the tiles to get cracks or even break from the walls, something Panda King assures me he can fix at a later time, do we make sure that the whole bathroom returns to the state Sly left it in when he first build this place and do we move the chains and cuffs out of the room.  
I then see the remains of what we found lying at the other end of the hallway and I growl: "Murray, pick all that up. We're putting an end to this once and for all." The Hippo nods and while Panda King makes sure not to dangle any of the chains in his arms as we pass Sly's room, do I move the two of them back down.

There Penelope awaits us and her whole body tenses in shock when she sees what the others are carrying, yet I decide to keep her out of this as much as I can as I just know that the little mouse will need her gang and leader as much as Carmelita will and say: "Penelope, head for Sly's room and stay there until dinner."  
The mouse nods and when she has passed us, do I open the staircase door to the basement and take the team down to the Hazard Room, not activating any of the challenges, but telling my friends to put their cargo in the middle of the room before I say: "Panda King, do not hold back." Making the powerful mammal nod in understanding.  
He then loads the blasters on his back full to the very brim, more and more of his powerful, destructive fireworks stacking up together and while part of me fears for the damage this could actually cause the Panda himself, do I not voice my worries as my need to have this chapter of the story closed is much stronger than my concerns.  
Panda King unleashes the whole array, over a good thirty pieces of fireworks all erupting from the blasters which are as good as blown to shreds by the firepower of their creator and while I have no doubt that Sly will soon be making new ones in order to thank Panda King for his help, do I happily watch the fireworks hit.

The explosion and the blast that comes from the firepower blows me straight out of my wheelchair and blows Murray several feet away from where he was standing while Panda King, who was closer to the target's location, gets blown away so hard he actually rolls up and rolls all the way to the other side of the room before crashing.  
I cringe at seeing this, but then see how the metal of my room is torn to shreds and how there are only flimsy little bits left of what were once chains, cuffs and other disgusting toys one would only find in a brothel, something that makes me feel as if the three of us just cleansed this hideout and makes me sigh in pure relief.  
Yet this relief is short lived as Penelope actually runs into the room and asks: "Are you okay? I could feel the shockwaves all the way from the second floor. They actually stirred Carmelita and Sly." To which I quickly try getting to my wheelchair, Murray picking me up and helping me do so, before I roll out of the room with haste.  
I rush out of the hallway, barely even wait for the others to rush into the main hall behind me and slam the staircase door closed before using my booster to rush upstairs, where I instantly rush for Sly's room, hoping with all that I am that – being in each other's presence – will have helped keeping the two wounded spirits asleep.

* * *

 _ **Will they be? Sorry Bentley, no can do. Oh, and I'm not ending the chapter here, that would be too much of a contrast to the length of the other chapters. So enjoy some more content.**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

A sudden shockwave makes my whole body shiver underneath the warmth of my blanket, stirring me awake from the state of dreams I had fallen into thanks to Murray's warm petting and Bentley's rhythmic shell music, yet while part of me wants to fall back asleep, do my sensitive ears suddenly pick up on something.  
A moan. A moan coming from the throat of a female, one who is apparently quite close to me and seems to be behind me as my ear twitches to the back of my head in order to better catch the sound that I am hearing and while blinking the sleep out of my eyes, do I curiously twist my head to where I heard the sound coming from.

The sight that I meet with when I turn my face instantly takes all of my drowsiness away and shocks me senseless. Carmelita. The beautiful and dashing vixen is lying behind me, her face covered in the fur of my back and the fabric of my shirt, one arm sleepily wrapped around my waist and her expression one of pain.  
This last fact worries me and while trying not to stir the fox anymore than the shockwave must have just done, do I gently move myself so that Carmelita and I are now chest to chest and do I tentatively – not wanting to wake her in fear that this amazing experience could be over – reach one of my hands out to her hair.  
The luscious locks are slightly covering her face and while I try not to shiver in delight at getting the chance to touch and feel them, do I gently wipe them back to behind her ear, my fingers actually getting a will of their own here as they don't pull away from the fox, rather slide over the back of the black-tipped appendage.

At first I feel mesmerized by seeing myself able to do this, yet then I wonder if perhaps Carmelita has sensitive ears like myself and I look back at her gorgeous face, which seems to have lost some of the pain it had been feeling earlier. Relieved that I was able to make the pretty little vixen feel better, does something happen.  
My throat constraints and my lungs pull together at the same time, making me move away from the fox quite hurriedly before I cough into one of my hands, the cold I had gotten earlier today letting me know it has yet to fully leave my system. My lungs keep pulling together painfully, making me cough for longer than ever before.  
I hate feeling like this as it makes me pull even further away from the fox in my bed, if only to make sure she doesn't get infected, but then, just when I have pulled myself fully out of her grip and gone to sit on the side of the bed to get some fresh air, do I suddenly feel a soft hand rubbing itself over the upper part of my back.  
The feeling of the soft feminine touch on my back actually makes for my lungs finally capable of taking normal breaths and when I feel like breathing instead of coughing, do I turn around gratefully, only to see Carmelita sitting up in bed, her form amazingly close to mine and her eyes showing how worried she feels for me.

"Feeling better, Ringtail?" She then asks and I nod, amazed that her tone holds such warmth and care in it, making her smile at me before she suddenly says: "They're really gorgeous, you know." This confuses me, but she turns away from me and turns to look at something else as she says this, making me turn around as well.  
I look at where the Interpol Inspector is gazing and see that my wardrobe is open, the sight of all the dresses I ever made for the beautiful fox besides me shocking me and making me ask: "What are – what are they doing there?" A cough interrupting me halfway through and escaping my throat before Carmelita answers:  
"Akudo send them there. He – he changed the room you made for me." I look at her, the sound of her voice becoming smaller and more timid at the end worrying me and I ask: "You – you mean?" And the nod the fox gives me, one that is filled with sheer fear and great anxiety making my body move out of chaste instinct.  
I turn my body her way and hug her close, Carmelita tensing for only a moment before she actually accepts the embrace, her face burying itself in my shirt and making me realize two things, the first being that the fox really is scared of what almost happened to her and the second being that I am still in my old cloths.

At this I really feel like letting go off the fox in my arms, but I just know that Carmelita needs me and whisper: "I really don't want to contaminate you with my germs, gorgeous, so maybe it's better if I change before I offer you some more comfort." And the small smile that grows on Carmelita's face makes my entire day.  
She then shocks and amazes me as she pulls away from the embrace, her face again alight with the same strength that I have come to believe is something that is hers and hers alone before she asks: "How about we both get changed? I – I kind of feel like – if you'll accept – putting on one of those outfits you made for me."  
At this the images that had always run through my mind while making the dresses flash through my mind a second time, making me think back on all the amazing ways Carmelita could look were she to wear one of my creations to a certain event or location and while I can barely suppress the joy within me, do I softly say:  
"I would very much like that. Could I pick one out?" At this the fox looks a little troubled and we both look at the open wardrobe, my eyes trying to find that one dress I worked a good four months on and on which I ripped apart several cloths of fabric before I felt that the style was exactly the way that I had desired it to be.

I then almost hear Carmelita take a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something before she says: "Go ahead, Cooper. Prove me I can trust your judgment." And while I feel highly elated for this incredible chance, do I try not to let this happiness be ruined by how my body still feels weak and ill due to my ever-present cold.  
I quickly stand up, trying my hardest to ignore how this actually makes me feel dizzy and sway on my own two paws and walk over the wardrobe, my eyes searching and finding the desired dress as I do and I happily pull it out upon arriving, lying it over one of my arms and letting my other hand softly run through the fabric.  
I then turn back to Carmelita and while my mind's eye actually shows me what the fox would look like on my bed with that dress on, do I try not to let her realize what I am imagining as I instead just simply smile at her before taking out one of my warmer shirts and even a pair of soft grey pants that are similar colored to my own fur.

I walk back to the bed and hand the dress to the fox, who lies it down over her own lap, her eyes wide when she sees what I picked and I happily look down at the creation myself. The dress itself is made of two pieces, one a full-body suit that goes from the lower neck down to the ankles and the other from the neck to the calves.  
The two pieces are put together thanks to a loose-fitted leather belt and several golden buttons that were actually coins once upon a time, but that I used fire to melt into the golden shaped buttons and button holes they are now, which go from the center of Carmelita's hips up to the left, reaching all the way to her left arm pit.  
This part of the dress is loose-fitted as well and made to be put on after the body suit has been strapped on, the dress itself also having a zipper to make sure the dress can be taken on and off easily, while the buttons are meant to keep the dress in place. The dress itself is made very fine silk and has a delicious cranberry purple color.  
The bodysuit, on the other side is made of a very soft leather fabric, one I worked on the hardest as I wanted to make sure the fabric was both as flexible as leather as well as be able to be very breathable, making me have to tear apart several samples before I got the desired results and the fabric is only a single shade softer than the dress.

All in all do I smile at my little creation, one I made shortly after stealing the Venus de Whalo and while Carmelita looks at the dress in shock, do I walk around the back and keep my back to her, giving her some privacy and lending myself some as well as I take off the sweaty, week-old shirt and change into the warmer, cleaner one.  
"Cooper?" I then hear Carmelita asking me and the suddenness of it makes me gulp, wondering if perhaps I should have picked a different one and I ask: "Yes?" Hoping with all that I am that she won't shoot me as I really don't feel like fleeing from my own room, especially not because I still feel the presence of my headstrong cold.  
"How – how did you – how did you make this?" She then asks and I feel relieved, the idea that perhaps I didn't pick the wrong one after all and while I happily pull my trousers over my legs, giving my body a bit more chance to stay warm, do I shrug and say: "Just like I always do. With a lot of effort and hard work."  
And with that do I almost feel the fox turning to gaze at me, making me smile at her over my shoulder as I switch the cap I have hanging on the rack besides my balcony door for a new one I had plucked out of my wardrobe and ask: "Would you rather have another, perhaps?" But the fox shakes her head and I say: "I'll be outside."

And while part of me really hates the idea of going outside again and while I actually keep a bit of my tail between the doors to make sure they don't fall close on me, do I still lean forward on the railing, loving how, while the balcony itself is only a few inches above the ground, I still have an amazing view of the Eifel Tower.  
This had actually been the whole reason I had chosen this room when we first met here as the room itself is parallel to a smile little river that runs between the two blocks of houses opposite of this house and thus, because of the long distance between the house and the tower, the river makes it that much easier to the Eifel Tower.  
I look at the magnificent structure as I feel myself getting a little lost in awe, something that happens often when being out here, when suddenly the door behind me opens and Bentley shouts: "Sly! What do you think you're doing still being out? You've got a cold to heal from, remember? Get back inside already!" Shocking me.

I then look inside and my eyes widen beyond belief as the dress I made for Carmelita easily fits her like a second skin, the way that the dress itself hangs off her curves accentuating them even more and the tight fit of the body suit making all of her slim muscles stand out, causing for the full, powerful beauty of the fox to show.  
The fox herself stands behind a very worried and angry Bentley, yet I barely pay attention to my friend as it's very, very hard to look anywhere but at the gorgeous fox behind him and Carmelita raises one of her eyebrows before she asks: "Cooper, did you even hear Bentley? Get in here. You've been outside long enough this week."  
At this I shake my head and move back in, part of me reveling in the ability to do so and Bentley huffs before he says: "Let's just go, Murray's getting dinner ready and I'm pretty sure the others have been greatly worried about you since you went to bed earlier." At which I smile at my friend, feeling touched by his words.

I then turn back to Carmelita, who smiles at me and asks: "Any reason you were outside for so long? I changed ten minutes ago, you know?" At which I turn red a little and say: "My balcony watches over a small river that leads straight to the Eifel Tower. The sight of it just always takes my breath away and makes me forget the time."  
The fox nods and then sighs as she says: "You know, I've never even been up that tower my entire life." Shocking both Bentley and me and I can't help but ask: "What? Why not?" And the answer the fox gives me both fills me with loving hope and makes me fear for my future with her as she smiles sweetly before she says:  
"Because I swore myself that my first time up there – would be with the man of my dreams." And while all kinds of images of her and me sharing a starry sky filled night on the very top of the tower, with her in various outfits including her current one, fills my mind, do I follow the fox and turtle on their way downstairs.  
Yet while I do and while I keep looking between where I walk and where the fox walks before me, do I feel her last words going through my mind again and again, making me feel both elated with the chance that I now have as well as fear for losing her to someone else, for her falling for someone other than myself.

At this I want to shake my head, not just to shake the thoughts off, but to convince myself that this will not happen – that I won't let it happen – but because I don't want to chose her life for her and because I don't feel ready to tell her directly how I feel just yet, do I keep my head from shaking and do I just keep walking down the stairs.  
We then enter the living room and as we do, does a sight I have been almost dying to see all week meet my gaze. Panda King seated at the large sofa in front of the back wall, Guru on his shoulder, both of them talking with Penelope and Dimitri lounging in a chair on the left of them, while the scent of Murray's cooking reaches my nose.  
Feeling relieved, relaxed and warmed by all that I see, feel and smell, does the realization that I am home once again hit me stronger than ever, making the muscles I have felt being tense since realizing what a terrible situation my team and I were in relax even more than they did when I fell asleep, before Bentley suddenly asks:

"Ah Dimitri, was there by any chance a blue ribbon attached to your seat?" The Iguana looks up from where he is lounging, making me realize that he's actually seated in my favorite chair – one I claimed when Bentley, Murray and I first moved here – and Bentley motions for the large chair that is opposite of Dimitri as he says:  
"You see that brown ribbon over there? We placed that there when Guru came to join us. We didn't need it before because Sly, Murray and I all knew the unspoken rule of which chair belonged to who. I still have mine, I just don't use it anymore now that – well, this." And he motions for his wheelchair while Dimitri looks shocked.  
"So, what does blue ribbon mean, brain bro?" And while leaning against the wall that has some trinkets of our previous heists stalled out on the right of me, do I say: "The Brown ribbon means that it's Murray's chair. Bentley had a green ribbon and the blue one's mine. We can make ribbons for the rest of you as well, if you want."  
And while Dimitri shoots out of the chair as if it suddenly caught on fire, do I not really notice this as my eyes are drawn back to how incredibly beautiful Carmelita looks, especially now that I suddenly notice how the soft fabric of the dress, which has a hole and a zipper to fit around her tail, make her lower sides even more enticing.

Trying to behave like the gentlemen my mother raised me to be in the few years she had with me, do I work my hardest not to let my eyes linger down any further than her slim waist before the fox even seems to notice my attention being on her and while Dimitri takes for a chair a few feet away from mine, does Murray shout:  
"Dinner's ready!" Making me smile widely, while part of me feels absolutely amazed that I have slept and stood outside on the balcony long enough for early noon to change into evening, do I happily put my hand on Carmelita's waist, ignoring how she raises her eyebrow at me and showing her a dashing smile as I lead her to the kitchen.  
Bentley then does the same with Penelope, the mouse giggling softly as my turtle buddy takes her hand and uses his other to roll into the kitchen and Murray gives me a warm hug, something that makes the warmth of my cloths intensify nicely before he guides both me and Carmelita over to the extended dinner table.

There I feel like taking a breath of heaven as Murray actually made his specialty, which is rise with raisins, ground beef, apple slices and green beans all mixed together with a delicious south-African sauce and when Murray divides the meal over our plates, does everyone, bar Carmelita and Dimitri, send him a grateful smile.  
"We're all together again and the team's fully complete, so the Murray decided he should celebrate." The Hippo then says and then Dimitri makes us all tense as he asks: "Team complete? Even Mss. Lady Cop?" And while his words make me imagine Carmelita going on several heists with me, do I tense nonetheless.

* * *

 _ **Okay!?  
**_ _ **That – is tense. And why did I pick Dimitri? He's not always the brightest bulb in the box, that's why. He's definitely clever enough to be a painter, to scuba dive like no other and to forge money, but he's not always clever and him inviting Carmelita to see a statue he wanted to steal – I think that pretty much proves this.  
**_ _ **Now next chapter will again be Carmelita's POV and will be a little bit about her contemplating the Iguana's words, but I won't let her join immediately. Heck, I might not let her join at all. I might throw in a whole different way for her and Sly to get together, but together they will get, of that I have ZERO doubt.  
**_ _ **Also, YES, this hideout is pretty much exactly like the one I wrote about in Family Traditions, but I just always believed that the way I envisioned the Hideout is perfect and would be exactly how those three – and later their team mates – would live. I will probably make this same hideout for other stories, but I can't say I care.  
**_ _ **Okay, enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	4. Carmelita Wakes Up

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **I just want to let you all know that I feel myself to be in a bit of a slump. A lot of story ideas are going through my mind and it's making it hard for me to focus on what I already have, while at the same time I don't feel to have it in me to make these stories a reality. I at least want these three new ones out first, so yeah.  
**_ _ **Enjoy nonetheless,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 04**_

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

Waking up thanks to a shockwave suddenly going through the entire house and hitting me from the bed I am sleeping on is not something I hope I will experience more often while staying at this Hideout, yet the action of my sleeping partner that follows up with this makes me feel like falling back asleep peacefully.  
Sly first moves himself so that my front is now sided with his own and then, with an ungloved hand, does he gently push some of my hair out of my face before his hand, which is almost so softly going over my hair that I barely feel the touch, making me suppress a shudder, moves up and passes the end of my black-tipped ear.  
This feeling, this soft gender caress of the ever strong and confident raccoon makes me able to let go of some of the pain and fear that I felt when making my discoveries in my own bedroom and while I feel like moving a little closer in the hopes that Sly will continue with this, does something else happen instead.

The raccoon pulls away and while instinctively wanting to cuddle closer, do I then hear Sly starting to cough, reminding me that he had stayed out on the street last night and when the coughing doesn't seem to end, do I open my eyes and push myself up, moving over to the raccoon and lying my hand on his back.  
I move it up and down over the upper part of his back and feel relieved to hear the coughing subsiding before Cooper, still looking pretty bad as he still has bloodshot eyes and his fur has now become sticky with sweat, which must have broken out when his lungs constricted, yet his face seems more concerned with me.  
This warms me from the inside and I ask: "Feeling better, Ringtail?" Sly nods, while his eyes seem amazed at how much I now worry for him and I decide to prove him that, regardless of our professions, I still care for him and appreciate him. I turn my face and start to smile as I say: "They're really gorgeous, you know."

Sly moves his face over to his wardrobe and when he sees the dresses he made me, does he ask: "What are – what are they doing there?" A cough interrupting him halfway through and worrying me again, making me want to pull him back under the covers as I say: "Akudo send them there. He – he changed the room you made for me."  
And while I say this, do the images of that chains and those ropes, along with what Penelope told me earlier run through my mind again, scaring me as I had never been used like that before. I, of course have plenty of enemies, seeing my profession, but while I had once been used as bait, have I never been used as blackmail.  
My voice becomes softer and more timid as these memories come back up thanks to my little explanation and to my shock, does Cooper instantly hug me, his arms as warm and comforting as they were when Penelope told me the truth and while I tense at first, do I revel in what I wanted when I dashed in here a little while ago.

Yet, after a few minutes of being held like this, does Cooper suddenly mutter: "I really don't want to contaminate you with my germs, gorgeous, so maybe it's better if I change before I offer you some more comfort." Making me again remember his illness, yet at the same time making me feel touched at his need to care for me.  
I smile at the Ringtail, his caring tone giving me back some of the strength I lost due to my fear and decide that, even if I can't physically heal him, I can at least make him feel better emotionally and ask: "How about we both get changed? I – I kind of feel like – if you'll accept – putting on one of those outfits you made for me."  
And just by looking into Cooper's eyes can I tell that I made the Ringtail's entire day as his mind must be abuzz with all kinds of images of me in those outfits, which makes part of me feel a little self-conscious before Cooper makes me wonder if I can trust him as he asks: "I would very much like that. Could I pick one out?"

At this I turn my face to the cloths, trying to see if there are any kind of outfits that could remind me of what Akudo wanted for me, but then I remember that this is Cooper, not Akudo and while hoping that Cooper can prove this to be true, do I take a deep breath and say: "Go ahead, Cooper. Prove me I can trust your judgment."  
And the way that Cooper's face lights up makes me both worried for what I just got myself into and feel as if I accomplished my goal to make the Ringtail feel better. Cooper then seems to work his hardest not to let his illness get the better of him and moves to the open wardrobe, where he picks one out a little too fast for my liking.  
Hoping that I can really trust the Ringtail and that he won't take advantage of the fact that I am safest while here for the next few days, do I watch as he takes some cloths out for himself and then hands me the dress, which I realize with a shock is more than just a single dress as there is an actual bodysuit underneath the dress.  
The coloring of the dress is even more shocking as the two tones of purple have always been my favorite and while I wonder how Cooper knew this, does he move to give us both some privacy, yet I can't help but call out to him, making him tense before I ask: "How – how did you – how did you make this?"

And while I hate how my shock and amazement made me stutter, does Cooper seem to relax, making me know that he had indeed tried not to pick out anything I wouldn't like before he pulls up his pants and, with the confidence I always hear him speak with, he says: "Just like I always do. With a lot of effort and hard work."  
This makes me look at him, remembering what Bentley said about our instant connection, yet wondering why Cooper never thought of proving this with gifts like the dress on my lap and when Cooper asks: "Would you rather have another, perhaps?" Do I quickly shake my head, before he says: "I'll be outside."  
This shocks and worries me, yet the fact that Cooper keeps his tail between the balcony doors makes me feel relieved and at the same time a little uncomfortable as Cooper shouldn't be wanting to leave his room just to give me some privacy. I then again look down at the dress, my hand going over the fabric before I hear cursing.

I look up and see Bentley, Murray, Penelope and Panda King all standing in the doorway, Panda King looking like he just came out of a fire and his canisters completely blown to bits, making me finally understand where the shockwave I felt earlier must have come from before Bentley asks: "Carmelita, where's Sly?"  
And while the uncomfortable feeling returns, do I mutter: "Outside, he – he wanted to give me some privacy so I could change." The turtle turns red and says: "Knock when you're ready." To which I nod before he closes the door, the red hue on his face obviously one of embarrassment and taking away some of my own awkwardness.  
I then change out of my Interpol Uniform, making sure to fold it all up and lie it down on the desk chair before moving into the body suit and zipping the dress up over it, the buttons on the bottom side easy to reach and made of actual gold, making me wonder if Cooper perhaps used gold of his own vault to make them.

I am then fully dressed once again and walk back to the wardrobe, where I had seen a full-length mirror having been build into the inside of one of the doors and when I take a look at myself, do my eyes widen as I cannot believe how well-fitted the outfit is, the bodysuit accentuating my muscles and the dress itself my actual curves.  
Having never seen myself in something that proves the beauty of my own looks as exquisitely as this double-pieced outfit, can I not help but wonder how Cooper knew my sizes to this extend, yet at the same time, do I move myself from one side to another, loving everything that I see as I view myself in the mirror from different angles.

I then close the doors of the closet and walk over to the door, knocking like Bentley told me before opening the door and, while feeling clichéd, do I ask: "Well, what do you think?" And the way that the jaws of Bentley and Murray drop, while Penelope lets out a startled gasp and Panda King's eyes widen makes me feel very good.  
I smile at the four and say: "I know, I – I was shocked myself when I saw how good this fit. Any of you an idea how Cooper knows my sizes so well?" To which Bentley groans and says: "Knowing him, he must have nicked some of your Interpol Uniforms for a few minutes and measured the sizes before putting them back."  
And while part of me feels violated that Cooper can get in and out of Interpol Headquarters, not to mention get to my locker and take my cloths, without anyone knowing, does the fabric that is wrapped around my body make that feeling of violation disappear and I say: "Knowing Cooper like I do, you're probably right, Bentley."

Then Bentley rolls his wheelchair in and asks: "Where is he now?" And to my shock, do I realize that Cooper has yet to reopen his balcony door or come back in. I turn to where the Ringtail is now leaning over his balcony wall, apparently looking at something in the distance and Bentley mutters: "Oh, I cannot believe this."  
Before he hurries his wheelchair over, pulls the doors open and shouts: "Sly! What do you think you're doing still being out? You've got a cold to heal from, remember? Get back inside already!" And the way that the Raccoon jumps up startled makes me wonder what could have made him go off into dreamland like that.  
Penelope, Murray and Panda King then leave downstairs, while I move over to stand besides Bentley and when Cooper looks at me, do I again feel warm and cared for as the way that his eyes widen in amazement at seeing my form in the dress proves me that the Raccoon had actually underestimated the beauty of his own creation.  
Yet, when Cooper keeps looking at me, completely ignoring how Bentley seems to get angrier and angrier the longer he stays outside, do I raise an eyebrow at the dumbstruck Raccoon and ask: "Cooper, did you even hear Bentley? Get in here. You've been outside long enough this week." Shaking him awake.

Bentley then interrupts the both of us as he huffs and says: "Let's just go, Murray's getting dinner ready and I'm pretty sure the others have been greatly worried about you since you went to bed earlier." And the smile that Cooper sends his friend at hearing this proves to me how much he values the friendship they have.  
I then feel my curiosity grow yet again and ask: "Any reason you were outside for so long? I changed ten minutes ago, you know?" Cooper turns red at this and says: "My balcony watches over a small river that leads straight to the Eifel Tower. The sight of it just always takes my breath away and makes me forget the time."  
This makes me look over his shoulder in shock, the small river that I see past his balcony window almost making the Eifel Tower itself looking more beautiful than usual and I nod before deciding to trust Cooper just a little more as I sigh before admitting to them both: "You know, I've never even been up that tower my entire life."

Both Cooper and Bentley look at me shocked and Cooper asks: "What? Why not?" And while I can't help but wonder what it would be like up there – and while part of me envisions me up there with Cooper – do I answer: "Because I swore myself that my first time up there – would be with the man of my dreams."  
At this Bentley – to my shock – quickly gazes between Cooper and myself and I look back at the Raccoon, his hazel brown eyes easily read and making me realize that he's actually envisioning the both of us up there. Remembering Bentley's words, do I wonder what it would be like if that happened, but then shake it off.

We then all walk back downstairs and while I can easily tell that Cooper is still envisioning us both on top of the Eifel Tower, does the slight fear, the determination and the soft burning hope that I can see growing in his eyes confuse me, especially the way that those feelings pass each other as they flash through his amber brown gazers.  
Yet when we arrive downstairs and while Cooper leans himself against one of the walls, proving how much he feels at home in this interesting building and how happy he must be to be back here, does Bentley suddenly confuse me as he asks: "Ah Dimitri, was there by any chance a blue ribbon attached to your seat?"  
Dimitri looks up from where he sits as Bentley goes on and says: "You see that brown ribbon over there? We placed that there when Guru came to join us. We didn't need it before because Sly, Murray and I all knew the unspoken rule of which chair belonged to who. I still have mine, I just don't use it anymore now that – well, this."  
This alone intrigues me and Dimitri asks: "So, what does blue ribbon mean, brain bro?" And Cooper proves that he cares for his new team members as he answers: "The Brown ribbon means that it's Murray's chair. Bentley had a green ribbon and the blue one's mine. We can make ribbons for the rest of you as well, if you want."

The Iguana seems shocked at hearing this, yelping as if the chair suddenly caught on fire and dashing for a different chair and while amazed that the three original members of the Cooper Gang actually each have one chair that they love the most, does Murray shock me as his voice comes from behind me and shouts: "Dinner's ready!"  
And while part of me is shocked that, in my feared state, I actually slept the whole afternoon away, does Cooper prove that he really does care for me in more ways than just friendly as he softly grabs my waist and leads me over to the kitchen, answering my raised eyebrow with one of his trademark dashing grins.  
The kitchen itself is made out of tiles and granite mostly, the table tops and work benches made out of granite, the cabinets made of a very sturdy kind of wood and the walls, ceiling and floor all made of soft peachy green and broken white colored tiles, while the dining table is actually one that can be expanded on command.

Cooper then receives a warm hug from the cooking Hippo, something that proves to me there is more than just friendship going on between Hippo and Raccoon and while slightly jealous over this, as I never had any siblings myself due to my mum's reproduction organs growing ill after I was born, do I smile nonetheless.  
The Hippo then leads both me and Cooper over to the table and sits us down before I see Cooper take a deep breath through his nose as he looks at what is stalled out on the table, which I personally recognize as the recipe for Bobotie, a recipe my mother used to love making, yet of which she could never get some parts right.  
Wondering if the Hippo can do what my mother cannot, do I feel touched as he fills our plates evenly before he says: "We're all together again and the team's fully complete, so the Murray decided he should celebrate." But while I feel touched, does Dimitri shock me as he asks: "Team complete? Even Mss. Lady Cop?"

At this I look at all those seated around me, Bentley having dropped his spoon, Penelope having her hand clenching her glass filled with milk, Guru and Panda King looking as if Dimitri has grown a second head and Murray cringing in shock before I turn to Cooper, his tenseness intriguing me before I see the look in his eyes.  
Elation and shock seem to rival each other on those brown gazers and while I feel shocked that the Raccoon actually feels excited over the idea of me joining the team, do I not feel insulted one bit at the fact that he would even think of such a possibility as I again remember what Bentley told me about how Sly feels for me.  
I then take another look around and see that, with most of those around me, the shock has turned to feared gazes, which are all aimed my way and I sigh before I shake my head as I say: "Lousteau, you may have been a famous art forger and money scrambler, but you really need a new brain if you think Murray meant me."

And while I calmly take a bite of my meal, the way that the sauce drips onto my tongue as I eat making me moan in delight, do I sneak another glance Cooper's way, the relief and slight sadness that he seems to try and hide from his gaze making me want to giggle at the fact that he had hoped I would confirm the Iguana's beliefs.  
The others then also start to eat and while conversations seem a little tense, do I keep my gaze mostly on Cooper, silently loving the way that he seems to try and keep his disappointment out of his form as he seems to struggle not to let his shoulders sag down, something that is obviously made easier as he joins in on the conversations.

Still, as dinner comes to an end, can I not help but feel worried and scared for the choice that is ahead of me; sharing a room and bed with Cooper for another time – probably giving him the wrong idea – or trying to sleep in a room that was almost used to turn me into some kind of playgirl, which makes shivers run down my spine.  
Yet, while Sly helps Murray with the dishes, does Bentley guide me to another part of the kitchen and whispers: "I know what you're afraid of, Carmelita, and you don't have to worry. Murray, Panda King and I already took out everything Akudo collected in your rooms. It's back to how Sly build it and all those things are destroyed."  
This makes me feel a little more relieved, yet doesn't take away all of my fear and I whisper back: "Would Cooper mind helping me fall asleep. I – I don't really like the idea of staying there alone, you know, but – but I don't want to give him any wrong ideas or false hope or anything." The turtle nods and says:

"Sly's a real caring person, he'll understand." Making me smile at the confidence that the turtle has in Cooper and making me ask: "You, Cooper and Murray really are close, aren't you?" The turtle nods and says: "Sly may be a thief, Carmelita, but the way he fights for his family's legacy – makes us feel as if we have family too."  
And while my eyes widen as I had never even thought of looking at the bond between the three in that way, does Bentley then mutter: "Head for the living room, I'll talk with Sly and make sure he helps you fall asleep tonight. Don't worry, Sly knows just how to do that. We know how to get him asleep, but his methods are better."  
And while I wonder what the Raccoon could be planning, do I nod nonetheless and leave the three friends together in the kitchen, Sly sending me a curious look before I leave and me sending him a warm smile back to assure him that I'm still okay, the caring smile I get back warming me from deep within my own heart.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's it!  
**_ _ **I know, I know, it's pretty much the last chapter in Carmelita's POV, but I really want to experiment with these two and at the current moment are they still very much with different opinions on a lot of matters, bar the things Akudo did to Sly and the things Akudo's team wanted to do to Carmelita.  
**_ _ **I just don't like writing about that, so I decided to keep to that as little as possible. The next chapter will again be in Sly's POV and will be a bit of the dish-washing – I know, BORING – and a little something that you can find back in one of my other stories. I try to give Sly different talents in different stories, but not always.  
**_ _ **Hope you enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	5. Movies And Bedtime

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Just want to warn you about two things. One, the talent Sly showed in Family Traditions won't come up this chapter. I wanted to at first, but then I decided against it seeing the revelations of previous chapters. Two, there is an altered movie reference in this chapter.  
Care to find it,**_

 _ ****_ _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 05**_

 _ **Sly's POV**_

I won't deny the disappointment that went through my heart when Carmelita denied the idea of her joining the Cooper Gang, yet just the fact that, at least for the next week, the incredible vixen will be sharing a house with us makes some of that sadness fade away easily and the way that the others share their stories with me adds to this.  
The way that Akudo's men had treated my friends had both been uncomfortable and a bit of a relief to hear as they definitely constantly made sure that my friends couldn't fight off their captured status, yet they never really felt as if they were prisoner. Well, except Murray, who had special drugs added to all the meals he was fed.  
"It was really bad, you guys. Those drugs, they – they messed with my mind like the Contessa tried. You know, back in that detention center. Anyway, they didn't make me as violent as she tried making me or bring out the full power of The Murray, they – well, they made me feel how I felt when Bentley got his accident."

This is something none of us liked hearing, yet the Hippo shakes his head and says: "It was awful, but the Murray knows better. That accident was not my fault and though I felt like I did back then again, did this only happen because those bastards knew exactly when to feed me and when the drugs could possibly wear off again."  
"They really studied us for months. They must have, to know so much about us. I bet they even studied us before we started gathering our fellow team members." Bentley says and I nod and say: "They must have struck when they did, because, like us, they didn't expect for our Iguana friend to join us.  
It must have caught them off guard, they must have been planning to catch us anyway and to hear that there might be an added member to our gang that would set their plans back because they would need to study us. They must have not wanted to take that risk, so they struck hard and they struck fast." The others nod and I mumble:

"There is just one thing I just don't get." Everyone looks at me and I say: "Why? Why did they not just leave me on that boat? They obviously wanted me to feel alone and defeated, so why not add to that by making me worry for you in the time it would take me to get to you guys? Why take me to Paris as well?"  
The others look confused and worried about this and then Carmelita says: "It must be because of what you said, Ringtail. They got caught off guard with Dimitri, so they struck hard and fast and decided to strike at you emotionally in a more direct manner. Who knows, maybe they wanted to strike you at home right from the get-go."  
I nod and then something happens that I really don't like. The channel we were listening to on the radio suddenly stops halfway through a song by a female band of singers and instead of that, does a male voice say: "We interrupt this Top 40 Hit List for an important news flash." Which instantly draws all our attention.

Yet my stomach, not feeling all that well thanks to the flue, twists in even more knots as I hear the man say: "The Infamous Japanese Crime Gang, under lead of Rendell Akudo, has been arrested after a perfect bit of collaboration between the famous Police forces of Interpol and one of the newest members of the Infamous Cooper Gang.  
Now unlike what was suggested two years ago, was it not Inspector Carmelita Fox who led this collaboration as she too was a target for the devilish actions of the filthy wolf. Instead of that, did Chief of Police, James Charles Barkley, work together with technical specialist Penelope to trick the wolf out of the Cooper Hide Out.  
When asked where this location was, did Barkley respond _We see no reason to disclose this information seeing as how the Cooper Gang were both our partners in this arrest as well as the main target for Akudo's actual plans. We are just relieved to state that, other than a bit of flue, none of the Cooper Gang members were badly hurt.  
_ When asked why this was so important, does Chief Barkley say _Cooper may be a criminal, I will not deny this, but when a criminal is taken the people he considers family and even the home he has lived in for the longest time, he becomes a citizen first and a criminal second and we of Interpol dedicate our lives to the safety of citizens."_

Yet this is the last we hear as, by this time, Murray has finally gotten over his shock and reached the radio, turning the device off and sighing in defeat as he says: "Should have seen that coming. I heard them hinting at something like that at the five thirty news. Sorry about that, guys, I should have turned off the radio when I heard that."  
But while I feel weighted down by yet another reminder of what Akudo has done and tried to do, do none of us blame the hippo for keeping the music on while cooking and after a few minutes and a funny comment by the Guru has everyone returned to more peaceful conversations and has the mood been returned to normal.

By now Murray, Bentley and I are peacefully doing the dishes, Bentley actually using his board computer to play off some of our favorite songs through an internet site and while Bentley had taken some time before coming to aid us to talk with Carmelita, do neither Murray or I comment on this until he scraps his throat and says:  
"Sly, Inspector Fox is in need of your – ahem – personal talent." This makes me look at my friend strangely and he says: "The talent you use on us when we push ourselves too far during training. That talent." Yet, while I know what my friend means, does his message make me worry for our guest and does it make me ask:  
"Really, why is that?" And while his words increase my worries, does Bentley say: "She's worried about going back into the room where Akuda gave her such a scare, yet she doesn't want to give you the wrong impression by sleeping in your room instead of hers. I just thought your gift could help her relax and fall asleep."

At this I nod, my inner Coon screaming for Akudo's blood for ruining what was supposed to be my ultimate masterpiece for the endearing vixen, yet while keeping my hands under the warm water of the tab to make me feel a little better, do I say: "I get your idea, Bentley, but I'm not sure it's the right course of action."  
"Why not? Your massages are amazing, Sly." Murray tells me and I smile at my friend as I say: "I know they are. You guys tell me that plenty of times, believes me. But let's face one fact, guys. Whenever I work my magic on you guys, Bentley gets out of his shell and you always take your cape and mask off, remember?  
I just don't think Inspector Fox will appreciate it if someone she has been feuding with for so long asks her to take off her shirt or jacket on the same day she discovers that another criminal wanted to rape her. I think that's just pushing thing a little too far, guys." At this the other two nod and Bentley grunts as he says:  
"You got a good point, Sly. I didn't think about that." Yet I shrug as I had already thought of a little something to make the Fox feel more comfortable and ask: "How about a movie night? Watch just enough movies that it gets really late and watch a few easy ones to make the good Inspector feel comfortable and fall asleep that way?"

To this my two friends smile widely and Bentley says: "That's a great idea, Sly. Way better than what I suggested. Better tell Inspector Fox, though." I nod and then ask the question that is actually on my mind and ask: "You think she would feel offended if we ask to call her by her first name? Calling her the inspector all the time –."  
I shrug in the end and my friends smirk at me as Bentley says: "Give me a break, Sly. You only call her that if we start the conversation about her and even then you often refer to her with her first name." This makes me laugh as my best friend is indeed very right and a few minutes of silent work later are all the dishes done and back in their cabinets.

My friends and I then move ourselves over to the living room, where we do indeed notice a small level of tension hanging around the group that is seated on the chairs and couches, yet while Dimitri and Panda King seem to emit this tension, does it seem as if Carmelita is growing very close with the Guru and Penelope.  
The two girls are actually discussing various outfits that they like wearing when not at work and the Guru is even aiding them in this by telling them about the kinds of materials that are best used when going somewhere outdoors. The three of them are smiling and the girls even giggle from time to time, making me smile as well.  
Yet suddenly, Bentley prods his elbow in my side and with a voice that just drops over with playfulness, does he say: "Follow my lead, lover boy?" And while Murray looks at him confused and I glare at him playfully, does he roll his wheelchair over to the girls and say: "Man, it warms my heart to see my girl happy like this."

And while it seems as if the arrival of Bentley, Murray and I makes Dimitri and Panda King feel more at ease, does Penelope smile at Bentley with great budding love growing in her eyes, shocking Carmelita as Bentley opens the board in front of him and Penelope happily seats herself on his lap, to which Carmelita squeals and asks:  
"No way! How long have you two been an item? Why didn't I know this?" And while adjusting my step to the same smooth moves that Carmelita knows of me, not exactly easy as the flue is affecting me more than I let show, do I walk over and say: "You didn't know, gorgeous, because they got together at our last adventure.  
We were at the Spanish Main and fighting off some wicked ass pirate who called himself the smartest man of the seven seas, yet Bentley proved him wrong, saved Penelope from kidnap and turned that upstart into shark food. And all he did was use his brain and his belief in us as a team. That's why Bentley is one of a kind."

And while Carmelita seems amazed at both the tale and how I speak of my friend, does Penelope happily kiss Bentley on the lips and says: "One of a kind and the only one for me, that's for sure." Making the rest of us smile at the happy couple before I work my hardest not to just collapse into my favorite chair.  
Instead of that, do I make it look as if I am just sagging into its warm, comfy embrace and with a lazy arm, do I pull the lever on the right of the chair, making the backrest bend backwards and making a footrest shoot out of the front. Moving along with the chair, do I let out a sigh of relief as I feel my whole body relax.  
The others smile at hearing me come at rest like this and then, before I can fully get lost in the warm comfort of my chair, do I sigh and say: "Listen inspector. There are two small things we would like to talk with you about." The fox nods and I say: "First off, would you object to us calling you by your first name while here?"

The fox shakes her head and a little more of the tension that hangs around us seems to elevate as I smile and say: "Good, second thing. Bentley told me of your worries and I can fully agree on them, I really can. Plus, if you do try and share a bed with me, you might just wake up feeling as horrible as I do, come morning."  
At this the others nod, while Carmelita smiles at me gratefully, but then I say: "However, the solution Bentley came up with that he suggested to you is not exactly the right one either, seeing the events that have just transpired." At this the tension returns tenfold and while the others look at me worriedly, do I take a deep breath and say:

"You see, I take the health of my team members very highly and whenever either Bentley or Murray would try and push themselves too far in their training, would I tell them to either take off their shell or their cape and mask respectively and would I give them a good massage to make sure they get relaxed afterwards."  
At this Carmelita looks intrigued and while part of me screams to just drop the act and go for it, do I sigh at the lost chance and say: "However, seeing what we discovered today, do I just not feel willing to ask you to take off some of your cloths, if only to do the same. I don't want to do anything you feel uncomfortable with."  
The others look shocked, most of them probably because they know how I actually feel about the fine inspector and then I shrug and say: "So to avoid such tense moments or possibilities, I suggested we just have a movie night and see who falls asleep the first. You game, Carmelita?" And the nod of the fox is all I need to know.

I pull my chair back up, pull my aching, fiery body out of the chair and move over to the rack of dvds that is stood on the left of the flat screen TV Bentley and I bought after selling some of our loot on Thiefnet and while keeping my back to the fox, do I make sure to pick a few Rom Coms and a couple of easy adventure movies.  
I put the first of them called Fox Almighty in the DVD player and then lie myself back into the chair, my whole body screaming at me that it will not move again anytime tonight, yet while Panda King raises his eyebrow at seeing the actual chosen movie, do the others all happily smile as we watch the opening trailer.

 _ **Four hours later.**_

It took two Rom Coms and a single action movie before Carmelita succumbed to her sleepiness, the fox having silently yawned and rubbed her eyes every so often during the action movie, yet refusing to go to bed when we offered it to her before setting the second Rom Com on, yet she had luckily given in halfway through the movie.  
I myself had tried getting out of my chair so I could carry her up, yet Bentley and Murray had apparently seen how badly I needed to rest my body myself and had forbidden me from doing so, Bentley even pointing his Stun Gun at me while Murray went on to pick up the sleeping vixen, being very, very gentle with her.

I had given into their demands, but not into the demand that I just stay and watch another movie. Instead I had told them that I would hit the sack myself and the two had nodded, yet a few minutes after I had heard them leave, do I crawl out of my own bed and move over to the room I made for my lovely inspector.  
Her uniform is hung up on the metal hanger on the right of the canopy bed along with the upper bodice of her dress, yet as I tilt my head, do I see that the sleeping fox is still dressed in the underdress and that she seems perfectly calm where she is as there is a soft smile lingering on her white orange lips as she breaths in and out calmly.  
The sight of her, so calm and peaceful, in a place where she should feel tense and out of place warms my heart and makes my legs turn even more jelly than just the flue is doing and while making sure not to make a noise, do I sneak over to her and plant a soft kiss on her left temple, before I whisper: "Sweet dreams, my beautiful."  
And with that do I sneak back out and back to my own rooms, happily curling under the extra thick blanket Murray laid out for me after putting Carmelita to bed and hoping with all that I am that my flue will be much less when I wake up in the morning. Yet, while I let sleep take me, do I not know of something unexpected.

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

I had felt someone stare at me a few times during the movies and know it was probably Cooper, which had put the official officer in me on edge and made it hard for me to fall asleep. Yet the second Ron Com had been so sweet and dull at the same time that my body had succumbed to dreamland against my best urges to stay awake.  
Yet, even while I was asleep, was my body still awake enough to sense out what is happening around me, yet to my relief had none of the Gang of Thieves taken advantage of my slumbering state as Murray had picked me up and carried me as if I was his little girl or something, the feeling of his arms encasing me feeling very welcome.

Yet a few minutes after he had laid me down – obviously in the room I had been slightly fearful off – does another presence make itself known to my senses, my body not really responding as all I could really feel was his or her eyes gazing at me as I slept. Yet, while I had felt his or her gaze, had I not felt uncomfortable by knowing this.  
What had shocked me was the soft kiss on my temple, making me know it had to be Cooper who had been watching me as he would be the only one who could be silent enough I would not hear him approach, yet before my body could respond to this, had his voice said four words that had shocked me back awake.  
"Sweet dreams, my beautiful." Of course, I had not opened my eyes at this as Cooper has been calling me sweet names for as long as he has been my target, yet the devotion, loyalty and – dare I say it – love that I could hear coming through his voice as he said this had floored and overwhelmed me to the core of my person.

I had kept my eyes closed until I could no longer feel his eyes on me and had then gone to sit up in bed, one of my arms over my blanket and the other used to keep my upper body upright and while I had gazed at the open door for the longest time, had no one else passed my door for minutes, making me lie back down.  
Yet while I lie back, my face now facing the canopy above me, which I suddenly remember Bentley telling me that Sly had made it himself, do those four words and the emotions with which they were spoken repeat themselves in my mind along with the sight of Sly's disappointment when I denied the chance of joining the team.  
"If there's one thing that makes Sly special, it's how far he is willing to go for those he cares for. And for you, Sly went all out. Sly dreamed and from his dreams – well, he made this." Bentley's words ring through my mind again, making me take another look at the amazing room Cooper put up himself just for me.

The whole room looks incredible and has been made in a stunning design and style, the same I had actually hoped to use for my own home when I first got to move into a place of my own, yet in the time I was moving was this actual style either very rare to come across or too expensive for my small budget to afford.  
I had been able to decorate my house a little in this style by making a whole lot of trips to Greece before I got a full-time job at Interpol and thanks to those trips is now my entire living room filled with statues of the Greek gods in all kinds of different shapes, different kinds of stone and different sizes and colors.  
Wondering if these statues were what made Cooper decide to give me such an amazing room, do I feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea that Cooper might know my personal address, that is until a voice in my head whispers: "Has he ever abused that info then?" And with that calming thought do I fall back asleep, smiling happily.

* * *

 _ **Wow!  
**_ _ **This story was hard. My situation in my personal life is ever changing right now and it really affects my mood, so because the start of this story wasn't exactly positive, was it hard for me to get this story started, yet I am very much relieved with how this turned out, the chapter becoming easier once I got to the movie plan.  
**_ _ **Now I do want to let you know that this story will actually be about every day of the week that Carmelita is with the Cooper Gang, yet I will try not to make it too boring as I know that a story with no real progress can quickly become a drag, which I intent not to let happen here as I already have the epilogue planned.  
**_ _ **Enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	6. The Fashion Show

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **This chapter will be a real challenge for me and my creativity. I am planning something that, hopefully, will be very interesting for a lot of you, yet I usually fully shut down whenever I need to do such a thing and when it comes to something like this, I'd rather keep to what is done in Cannon. Well, enough hinting.  
**_ _ **Wish me luck,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

Waking up in a bed that is more comfortable than my own is something that makes me alert to my surroundings the minute my consciousness returns to me in the morning, yet before I can fully jump out of bed and grab my weapon off of my bedside table, have my eyes registered what room exactly it is that I am in.  
For a very short second does the memory of that vile creature named Akudo and what he wanted to do with this room run through my mind, yet this memory gets disrupted by a knock on the door, making me actually react more out of instinct than with conscious thought – and the next second do I regret doing this.

Sly comes into the rooms and the minute he sees me awake and with my gun aimed at his face does he raise his arms, making whatever he had in his arms be dropped to the floor before he says: "It wasn't me – well, not this time." He then tries to joke and this makes me lower my gun with a sigh of relief and a smile on my face.  
"Sorry Cooper, I guess yesterday has left some marks." I then tell him and the Raccoon seems to understand this as his eyes shine while he smiles at me and he says: "Trust me, I get that." And this reminds me of all he's been through the last week, making me send him a grateful smile before we both look down.  
Yet when I do, do my eyes widen as I see all of the cloths that Cooper has sown for me lying in front of his feet and he says: "I forgot to put these back last night so I decided to come and see if you were awake yet. Unless you'd rather stay in your uniform today?" He asks, but I nod and say: "I barely ever go in uniform when I'm off duty."

To which the Ringtail works on my funny bone as he asks: "When are you ever off duty?" And I laugh, causing for Cooper to actually smile at me with that ever-charming smirk of his before he bends down and pulls the cloths back off the floor, lifting it up and asking: "Can I come in?" To which I decide to kid and ask:  
"Cooper, who's house is this?" And this time I'm the one smiling as Cooper moves into my room laughing. Yet while he moves past, does my face suddenly lose color as I realize something. Without the upper dress to cover my form are practically all of my female curves perfectly visible, even when covered by a tight fabric.  
Instantly, I turn beet red and as quickly as I jumped out of bed a few minutes ago, as quickly do I dive back under the covers, yet Cooper seems obvious to this as he lifts the fabrics onto one arm and uses the other one to open the wardrobe on the other side of the room, his stance proving he is slowly recovering from the flu.

The Raccoon puts everything away and while he does so, can I not help but remember what happened the other night, Cooper's words and how he called me his beautiful ringing through my ears. Then the doors of the wardrobe close off, pulling me from my thoughts and Cooper sends me a last smile before leaving the room.  
Yet the smile alone reminds me of his words yet again and while I feel slightly dazed as the idea that Cooper could have any kind of emotions for me makes me question all we have gone through together, yet a few minutes later does a possible solution appear to me as Bentley wheels his wheelchair past my open bedroom door.  
Instantly I grab my chance and shout: "Bentley!" The turtle turns his face my way and smiles: "Good morning, Carmelita." I smile back and say: "Good morning, would you mind? I – I need some advice." The turtle nods and asks: "Are you – ehem – decent?" Making me turn red and pull up the covers even more.  
The turtle also turns red and says: "I'll – eh – I'll just wait here." And he rolls past the door, making me sigh in relief and rush for the wardrobe, pulling out a peach-colored dress with straps around the upper arms and with a sweetheart neckline, where the skirt reaches halfway up my upper legs and pull it on.  
On the floor of the wardrobe do I find a pair of matching heels with a strap around the ankle and while part of me wonders if Cooper made these as well or stole them, do I not even like caring either way as I put them on along with clean underwear and while using my hands to fashion my hair, do I shout back at Bentley:

"Okay, I'm good." And I can hear the turtle sigh in relief as he rolls into my room and asks: "What can I help you with?" And instantly I look down as I remember just who the creator of this dress is and what he said last night and I say: "I wasn't fully asleep when Cooper carried me upstairs last night, you know?"  
At this Bentley tilts his head and says: "Murray carried you." But to this I shrug and Bentley nods, understanding that it doesn't matter to my problem and I say: "Either way, I had some trouble falling asleep last night and – a few minutes after I was laid in bed – I felt someone else enter my room – Cooper."  
This seems to shock Bentley and he instantly asks: "Did he – did he say or – or do anything?" And just by how he falters at the end do I know that even Bentley himself doesn't believe Cooper capable of doing anything to someone who's unable to defend themselves, making a hint of happiness pierce through my worries.  
I shake my head at the turtle and say: "No, well – he didn't do anything. He – he said something that – well, I hear him say it practically all the time, but – but this. This is – different and –.""Did Sly call you anything?" Bentley interrupts my rant of confusion and I send him a grateful smile for his understanding as I say:

"He – he said _Sweet dreams, my beautiful._ And – and I know he calls me all kinds of sweet things practically every time we meet, but – but I never, until last night, really paid attention –." And again Bentley understands my problems as he says: "To how he said it, because you were constantly on opposite sides of the law."  
I nod, hating the fact that the first person I could ever be falling for is the man I am ordered by law to arrest and I sigh as I ask: "What do I do, Bentley? I mean, all the nice things Cooper has ever said to me, they – I mean, I like that he did and I – I'm starting to believe him, but – but why does it have to be Cooper?"  
Now Bentley looks confused for a second before his eyes widen behind his glasses and he asks: "Inspector, are you – are you falling – for Sly?" And while this question makes my heart scream in joy and my mind scream at me to deny it with ferocity, do I listen to the appendage that gives me life and do I nod slightly.

The Turtle looks at me shocked and whispers: "Well, I'll be." Before a smile larger than any I have ever even seen on Cooper's face when he pulls off a successful heist, which makes the voice in my mind quiet down slightly as it tries to rant at me that I am making the mistake of a lifetime before the turtle asks:  
"Care to prove him and get some proof yourself?" And when I look up from where I have my hands clasped in front of me, my left playing with the fabric of my skirt, do I see a smirk on Bentley's face that convinces me I will get all the answers I desire – in the most interesting way I can imagine, making me smile and ask:

"What do you have in mind?"

 _ **1 hour later  
**_ _ **Sly's POV**_

I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but while it feels fantastic to be back behind the stove to prepare breakfast, was it most strange to find that neither Bentley, nor Murray or even Carmelita have come down for breakfast and when I asked the others, had Dimitri told me that none of them were still in their bedrooms.  
Yes, Carmelita had been slightly embarrassed when I had entered her room to pack up her new cloths while she was only wearing the bodice of her dress, yet while my eyes had very much appreciated how gorgeous she looked with the dark purple fabric accentuating her forms, had I focused on my task too much too really care.

By now, breakfast is over and while Dimitri and Guru accept to do the dishes, do I decide to scurry the Hideout for my Main crew and my favorite inspector. Yet when I pass into the hallway, do I notice something I hadn't seen before. The doorway to the living room has been covered with a dark shadow-colored curtain.  
This confuses me and I softly touch the fabric, only for Bentley to actually come through and ask: "Oh hey Sly, breakfast done yet?" I nod and want to tell him how we already ate, yet the turtle interrupts me and says: "Great, we just finished here as well. Come on in, pall. Come right in." His voice filled with glee.  
This makes me look at the rest of the team, yet Bentley moves past me and says: "Sorry guys, this is private. Main Gang only." And while this shocks the others, do I decide to just find out what has my turtle buddy and brother so happy and do I move past him and through the shadowy curtain, entering a room that baffles me.

The whole living room has been changed and where the chairs and couches were stood before, now stands a gorgeous stage of soft brown velvet with lights on all the sides and with only three chairs stood around it. Where we had our TV is now a small room build with the walls existing out of more shadow-colored curtains.  
Then all kinds of colored lights that have somehow been hung onto the ceiling start to shine, the spots moving around the room and mist drifting out from under the curtains against the TV wall and Bentley quickly pushes me in the back as he says: "Quick Sly, take your seat. We're about to begin. Hurry up, will you?"  
And while I feel shocked, baffled and confused, does he give me another shove and do I see one of the lights moving past one of the chairs, this one stood at the very end of the stage, and as it passes, do I see a blue ribbon wrapped around the metal bars of the backrest, making me realize that this must indeed be my chair.

I sit myself down and after I do, does Murray move out from behind the curtain and whisper something in Bentley's ear that makes the turtle smile before he actually helps our crippled brother into the chair on the left of the stage and while I want to ask him what he told Bentley, does Murray ignore me and sit down.  
I look from the Hippo to the turtle and then back to the stage, wondering what on earth could have transpired to make them plan this and I ask: "Eeeh – guys?" But the two ignore me and then music, a soft and sweet sounding ballade, sounds throughout the room, making the two around me smile and turn to the curtains.  
Deciding to follow their example do I look at the very beginning of the stage, the platform itself only high enough to reach my own seat and when the curtains at the beginning of the stage open, does the sight that greet me make my eyes widen, my heart miss a beat and my whole body scream in pure elation and amazement.

Carmelita. Dressed in the peach-colored dress that I made three years ago, stands on stage with her hands on her hips and her beautiful black hair with blue highlights curled down to past her waist, a single curl lying on her forehead and a few curls wound around her brown colored ears with black colored tips.  
The dress itself clings to her waist and part of her hips, yet the very bottom flares out, just like I intended and this, together with the 4 inch high heels with strap around the ankle, makes her beautiful slim, agile legs look downright endless, yet the sweetheart neckline of the bodice hides just enough cleavage to be respectable.  
The way her dress accentuates her is also strengthened by her hands in her hips and with a pace in her step that would make the world's finest top model become jealous, does the fox slide across the stage, stopping a few times to take poses that make her look even more breathtaking before she ends at my part of the stage.

Yet, for the first time since I met her, do I feel all of my smooth, suave self-confidence to have taken a hike to South Africa as I can only gape with open mouth and bulging eyes at the breathtaking sight that is the angelic fox in front of me and just a single glance up her face proves me that she very much enjoys seeing me like this.  
Yet even her amused grin is not enough to shake me out of my stupor and I watch as if in a daze as she walks back, this time with only one hand in her hips and disappears behind the curtain. Then, after about a minute of her being out of my sight, do I shake my head to get over my shock and I turn to my friends as I want to ask:

"Guys, what –?" Yet before I can formulate my question, does the music change into a little more upbeat tune and do the curtains open yet again, Carmelita standing sideways and wearing one of the outfits I feel most proud of to have created, mostly because it in itself is very handy for movement, yet the fabric is exceedingly soft.  
A loose fitting tank-top with spaghetti straps made of green fabric with a black stripe just under the bust line and a pair of dark forest green pants that are fitted very tight around her hips, yet that flares out from under her knees, again making it so that her legs look longer than they are, while they start just inches under her shirt.  
The whole outfit just screams officer out in the field and still looks casual enough I can imagine the incredible vixen being undercover somewhere out in the jungle and while the memory of my dance with her at Rajan's party flashes through my mind, do I luckily enough not gape again as I see her coming over.

Her pace a little more upbeat this time and her poses a little more often, does it almost look as if the fox is dancing as she moves across the stage, yet the poses she holds halt in prove that she has fully grasped the meaning behind the design and this makes me change from a shocked and amazed look to a very approving gaze.  
Of course I still wonder what on earth could have made the gorgeous, very dashing and ever so adventurous vixen decide on something like this, yet while Bentley and Murray start to clap along with the beat of the song, does Carmelita actually keep pose at the end of the stage with her hands holding a fake pistol.  
Yet it is not the stand that she holds as she stops her, or the fact that she is again smirking at me. No, it's the fact that, as her eyes lock with mine, I actually catch her sending me a very flirty looking wink before she makes a perfect backflip from where she stood, her movement in sync with the music before she vanishes again.

My eyes are wide for a third time this morning and my heart is almost singing in tune with the music thanks to the speed its beating with and I think: "Did she just –?" Before I ask: "Did she just wink at me?" And Bentley snickers as he says: "No clue, Sly, how long has she been out of this room now? A few minutes?"  
And instantly my stomach drops down to my feet as I realize the source of all this. Why Carmelita is showing herself off in all of the outfits I have ever made for her. Why she, Bentley and Murray worked on getting this fashion show set up so quick. And why only Bentley, Murray and I are allowed in here right now.

"She heard me." I whisper and Bentley nods, yet then the tune of the music, just when the song turns to a softer tone with strong beat, changes again, the beat disappearing and the most beautiful ballad I have ever heard coming out of the speakers that I have yet to locate and while shocked over all of this, do I look back at the curtains.  
The shadow colored fabric opens at a slower pace this time and slowly reveals my deepest crush for me and my friends to see. The first part shown in her feet, covered in a pair of auburn red boots with 2 inch high heels, the heel itself covered with diamonds I once stole from some swindler in the high alps of France.  
Next is the skirt of the dress Carmelita is wearing, the skirt itself wide and flaring thanks to the hoopskirt under it, yet the ruffled fabric, made out of leaf brown material makes the fox look as if she is standing in the middle of an autumn storm with leafs blowing past her legs in a pattern I am very proud to have created.  
Finally does Carmelita's body and her face show through the curtain and while she has her arms behind her back, can I still see the striped material that the arms is made off, the colors being autumn brown and red and matching amazingly with the autumn red that is her bodice, while a soft amber belt is wrapped around her midriff.  
This, however, accentuates Carmelita's bust incredibly and somehow, while she had her hair loose and curled in her first outfit and had her hair in a low ponytail in the second outfit, is her hair now stuck up in a bun with only a small amount of strands hanging down from under it and covering the upper half of her neck.

All in all the fox looks like the princess I have always believed her to be and her looks actually even amaze Bentley and Murray, the two of them looking just like I did when she first appeared in her first dress and as Carmelita floats over the stage, do I feel as if she is floating to me as if on the clouds of the love I feel for her.  
This makes me decide that, if not for everything she has ever done for me, then to prove Akudo that Carmelita belongs to no one but me and most importantly because I am finally willing to admit it to her face to face and the minute that Carmelita makes a twirl on her axis at my end of the stage do I move into action.  
I get out of my seat and set one foot on the stage, taking one of the hands Carmelita used to hold her skirt as she twirled in my own and kiss it with all the love and amazement I feel in my heart as I mutter: "You are just too good for me, my princess." And while Murray gasps in shock, does Carmelita smile at me.

* * *

 _ **Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Yes, this is a cliffhanger, no, I do not regret it leaving at that. Yes, this will probably be the final chapter where you will hear about Akudo, at least for a while. The next few chapters will mostly be about Sly and Carmelita, about Sly getting over his flu and about Carmelita falling more in love as she helps him heal.  
**_ _ **Also, I DID NOT think of the peach colored dress that Carmelita had put on while talking with Bentley and that she was showing off to Sly during the beginning of the fashion show. This dress was designed by Moon-Shyne and can be found on her Deviant-Art page under the title Sly Cooper Girls Night Out. All credits to her.  
**_ _ **Check out her page,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	7. How Sly Feels

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **At the start of this chapter, another day has passed as had wanted to bring some attention to characters other than either Sly or Carmelita, but when I tried this, did I actually write myself into a block – with only one sentence. Therefore, I decided to change plans and to bring up something that came up a few times before now.  
**_ _ **Okay, enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

The time after the fashion show had been amazing, but I really should have known better than to go and stand with Carmelita at my balcony as we watched the lights of the Eifel Tower get lit. And this fact I get proven the hard way as even the thicker sweater that I wore last night has not saved me from my flue getting even worse.  
This I notice instantly upon waking as my whole body is just racking with shakes and trembles and the first thing I do upon waking is cough like crazy, my throat feeling like the rough side of a sponge, yet while I am lying under the thickest blanket Murray took out of my closet after our return, does my body still shake as if on the poles.  
Wrapping my arms around myself do I silently wish and beg for Carmelita not to see me like this, yet it seems as if today all gods of fate are planning to do the opposite of what I want as I hear her voice gasping in shock before I hear her rushing over, her hand softly touching my blanket from atop of the blanket as she asks:

"Sly, what happened? Is it your flu?" And while hating how I am worrying her when I should be stronger than this, do I still nod, coughing again and turning away as I don't want her to catch these rotten germs, yet the fox turns me on my back and then lifts my head up, helping me drink from the glass of water on my nightstand.  
The water running down my throat feels like the nectar of the gods, yet at the same time am I also glad that I set the water there last night as I don't want to know how my body would have reacted had the water still been as frozen cold as it was when I set it there and after taking a few more gulps, does she help me lie back down.  
She then starts to softly run her hand through the fur atop of my head and while trying to get as much of my strength together, which feels as if it took the highroad while I was asleep last night, do I rasp as I mutter: "You really shouldn't be here right now. A lovely fox like you doesn't deserve to get sick by a dumbass like me."

"Dumbass, what are you talking about, Sly?" Carmelita asks shocked and while trying to fight the soreness of my throat, do I say: "I shouldn't have gone out last night. I knew it'd be chilly and that I was still healing. I shouldn't have been so irresponsible." Yet the fox next to me shakes her head with a loving smile and says:  
"Sly, you've been through hell and back and we were just having fun. Don't worry about it. Just rest, get better and let me take care of the rest, okay?" To this I really want to nod as the idea of Carmelita taking care of me and the team sounds like a dream come true, yet the gentleman in me rears up instead and I ask:  
"What about breakfast? That's my job and – and it's Wednesday, which is when I make my scrambled egg and waffle mix." Yet the fox shakes her head this and turns around, making me worried that I hurt or offended her, before she asks: "How about scrambled eggs and waffles for the team and some good warm soup for our sick leader, huh?"

And while she smiles at me from the doorway, her eyes proving she is more than capable, do I respond the only way I know how; I lie back down on the bed, push my head deep into my pillow and groan in relief as even my sick body can't stop me from smiling the largest grin that has grown on my face in the longest time as I think:  
"Great Cooper Ancestors, what on this big blue earth did I ever do to deserve a fox as amazing as her?" And while the gentleman in me is still screaming for me to just get up and do my job, does the smile I saw on Carmelita's face, filled with loving determination, make me just stay down, feeling like a happy sack of loving goo.

 _ **Bentley's POV**_

The first thing that I see after coming downstairs for breakfast instantly has me worried as instead of Sly do I see Carmelita standing behind the stove, the fox actually wearing Sly's favorite cook's apron as she seems to work on Sly's usual Wednesday meal, yet the small pot of soup that she is also looking over says it all.  
"Sly's flue caught up with him?" I ask as I roll my wheelchair over, yet while the fox's tail tenses in shock as I had been behind her when asking, does she just calmly continue working, proving me that she has the same loving affinity for cooking as Sly and while this makes me all the happier for their new relationship, does the fox nod.  
"Silly little Ringtail even went so far as to blame himself and say he has a job in making breakfast. He looked worse than a sandpit after an autumn's rainstorm and he still tried getting up. He could barely even speak when I came in to check on him." To this I shake my head as I know exactly why Sly would behave like that and say:

"That might sound silly to you, Carmelita, but I know Sly and I know why he would be so determined about that." The fox looks at me and I sigh as I say: "I know it's been several years since it happened, but you have to understand that Sly still lives with the regret and pain of losing his parents all those years ago every day."  
The fox looks at me shocked and I continue while she focuses back on the scrambled eggs and waffles and I say: "Since then has Sly wanted to live up to his father's legacy with such a passion, when we became a team he instantly took leader role. Only, as the years progressed, we became more than a team, we became Sly's new family."  
To this the fox nods and then she asks: "So why is he so adamant to do such a simple thing as making breakfast?" And while part of me feels as if I am betraying my best friend by spilling this secret, do I say: "Because even when we did become a family – Sly still took the role of the leading father on him – and we never argued that."

At this the fox sighs, her hands stilling in their work as she does and she says: "So that's why." I nod and say: "And as much as it pains me, does this also make Sly feel double responsible for what happened, even when all of that wasn't his fault in the first place. So doing chores like making breakfast and all that –."  
And Carmelita makes my heart soar with pride for how understanding she is as she softly says: "Is just one of the ways he uses to get rid of the needless guilt that he feels. And now that he's this sick, he feels that he won't be able to make up for what was never his fault. That Ringtail really is one hell of an enigma, isn't he Bentley?"  
I nod at the fox and she sighs before she calmly continues her work as she says: "I'll bring him his soup. Can you watch over the rest of this and put it on the table?" And while I smile at her, do I activate all the arms on my wheelchair, Carmelita yelping, but then giggling as she pours a bowl of soup before leaving.

 _ **Murray's POV**_

"Where are Sly and Carmelita, Bentley? Still enjoying being together?" I ask the turtle as he sets down the waffles I thought Sly would have made for us, but my buddy shakes his head and says: "Sly's flue got to him again. Carmelita's bringing him a bowl of soup as we speak. Oh, and she made breakfast as Sly was just too sick to."  
This instantly worries us all and Penelope asks: "Is he okay?" But Bentley sighs and says: "In all honesty, even with his flue, do I worry more for him mentally than I do emotionally." And when Bentley gazes at me after saying this, do I understand instantly, nodding at the turtle to show him my silent understanding.

"Is that because Crackerbox nearly lost everything, bro? Surely you jest." Dimitri then says and while I keep in mind that the Iguana has, until a few days ago, only known Sly as his enemy, does Bentley shake his head and say: "It's not just because Sly almost lost everything, Dimitri. It's because Sly is both a leader – and a father."  
The others look shocked and while I have no doubt that they are drawing the wrong conclusions, does Bentley then divulge them something I have no doubt they would have realized for themselves had we spend a bit more time together and while listening, do I really worry for my friend – even as the others grow to understand.

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

"That poor Ringtail. That he instinctively puts that much responsibility on him. I can't believe I never noticed that about him. Man, I really let my job influence how I see people. Cooper's definitely got a criminal record, but his conscience and character are pure enough a saint from a church can take lessons from him."  
And while I think this, do I move upstairs, making sure not to spill any bit of the warm mushroom soup that I made especially for my sick little raccoon, yet a little problem occurs the minute I walk into Sly's room. Walking in, I want to open my mouth and tell him breakfast is ready, yet it would have fallen on deaf ears.  
His face to me, his eyes deeply closed and a bit of drool actually sipping past his slack lips, Sly Cooper is out for the count, sleeping like a bear in hibernation and completely obvious to everything around him, which makes me have to strongly crush down my inner cop instinct to take my chance and arrest the criminal.

"No, Sly is no criminal. He saved my life, my virginity and – he's the kind of guy my dad would want me to settle down with." And while this makes me turn a bit red as dad has been hinting at me to find the right guy for some time now, do I then get proven wrong about how deeply Sly is sleeping as his groggy voice asks me:  
"Is that for me, gorgeous?" Making me smile at him, even if I can clearly hear how sick the raccoon really is through his groggy, suave-sounding voice – or at least a voice that tries and fails to sound suave due to how sick the person actually is and I walk over, setting the soup down before moving a chair over to Sly's bedside.  
"Wait, what about you?" Sly instantly asks as he seems to struggle pushing himself upward and the sight of the ever agile and powerful raccoon being so weak that even his arms tremble just to lift him up in a seating position makes me almost tear up with care for him as I softly say: "Bentley's saving me a plate, don't worry.  
 _Don't worry yourself_." I then add with a bit more vigor as Sly wanted to open his mouth, yet Bentley's latest reveal is still fresh in my mind and the power of my voice makes a weak smile show on the tired and sick looking raccoon in front of me before I set down the portable tray with feet I had taken with me from the kitchen.

"This is Murray's." Sly says as I set the soup down and when he sees my intrigue, does he go on and say: "The big guy has a tendency to stay in bed for hours on end the first few days when we come back from a heist, so we bought this off of Thiefnet after our little trip to take down Muggshot back a few years ago.  
And don't worry, not everything bought off of Thiefnet is also considered a stolen good." The raccoon tries to kid around, but his joke is ill-received as he instantly starts coughing after trying to laugh and after I helped him to some more water, do I shake my head at him, the Raccoon smiling with guilt as I sternly say:  
"No more wisecracks until you stop sounding like a bear waking up from hibernating, understand?" The Ringtail nods and while he then resets his focus to the bowl of soup in front of him, can I not help the pain and worry that my heart feels over what Bentley told me and this makes my heart make a determined decision.

"Sly?" The Raccoon hums to show he's listening and I sigh as I say: "Bentley told me. He – he told me why you feel so determined to provide for us. Why you feel you need to take such strength behind your responsibilities." The spoon that the Ringtail had ladled with soup halts halfway up his face and Sly's fearful gaze meets mine.  
Yet, because of my decision, do I just smile at him with love and adoration in my eyes and smile as I lie both my hands on the one not dangling in the air and with the same love and acceptance in my tone as in my eyes do I say: "You can be the father figure to them all you want, Sly Cooper – if you let me be the mother figure, okay?"  
And while Sly's mouth remains open like it did when he stopped moving his spoon up, does his hand now slack in its grip, the spoon falling onto the tray and the soup splashing all over Sly's blanket, yet the Raccoon seems unaware of this as his eyes are wider than ever before while he keeps his shocked gaze locked with mine.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's it!  
**_ _ **HOLY CRAP! What a cliffie! Totally didn't plan on that, by the way. I just wanted Sly to feel his flue and for Carmelita to care for him, but then Bentley came into view and everything just riled down from there, creating the back story and the explanation behind Sly's feelings to his gang the way you see before you.  
**_ _ **Now, next chapter will be Sly's POV, yet I want to warn you here and now – there will not be any smut next chapter! Sly will respond, but he will also keep his severe case of flue clear in mind and because of that will he not respond physically. So instead of that – expect a lot of caps lock letters come the start of next chapter.  
**_ _ **Okay, see you,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	8. A Plan Is Made

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **Okay, slight change of plans. Instead of more Sly-Carmelita interaction am I going to bring Carmelita closer to the rest of the Cooper Gang and bring out a little something-something – blame Patterz from Youtube for that one – that will eventually have effect to the rest of the story and the way I plan to end of it all.  
**_ _ **Enjoy,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Penelope's POV**_

Bentley's story of why Sly feels he needs to do chores for us and be a leading father figure in our lives touches me in ways the Raccoon himself hadn't even been able to do when I had my crush on him and the way that Bentley sounds guilty for not refuting this years ago makes my love for the turtle grow to even further lengths.  
Yet still, even now that I know this story, do I only hope for one thing; that being in a relationship with someone like Inspector Fox will help Sly relieve some of that responsibility and become more relaxed as a person, even if I never really sensed him as the leader kind of guy whenever we chilled here at the Hide-Out.  
Yet Sly's incredible sense of guilt for something Akudo caused and did does indeed worry me and while I wonder if Sly will, especially with his illness, be able to do anything that can alleviate his guilt, does good news descend from the upper floors after breakfast as Carmelita enters the living room with a new spring in her step.

We all look at her as she approaches us and she keeps standing in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips proving she means business and then she shocks me right into the next millennium as she says: "Okay guys, you are looking at the new co-leader of the Cooper Gang. Sly has agreed that I can be the mother to his family."  
And while Panda King only lets his mouth drop open, the Guru drops his stick and Bentley almost slips out of his wheelchair, does Dimitri actually faint, falling onto the sofa he was sitting on and does Murray jump out of the chair he was sitting in and scream: "WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT FAMILY?"  
Yet Carmelita remains calm and answers: "You, of course. Sly considers you all his family and after the discussion we had, do I agree with him on that. So until your leader has gotten his health back, will I be doing all of his chores for him and, if I so deem it, you will come to me instead of him with any problems you may have."

"And he agreed on that?" Bentley asks with shock still strong in his voice, yet Carmelita smirks and says: "Didn't have much of a choice now, did he? I did agree that we would be sharing the chores once he gets better, but I pushed the notion that he needs to get better first strongly in his head and he accepted it – in the end."  
And while this seems to make Bentley feel a little more comfortable with understanding the whole situation, does Murray ask: "But – what about your job as Inspector for Interpol?" To which the fox smiles and says: "Don't worry about it, I already thought of a solution for that on the way down here." To which the two ask:  
"You're not quitting are you?" This actually seems to shock the fox and then she laughs and says: "Of course not! I love my job way too much and Sly and I agree that our chases are beyond too much fun for me to quit my job. No, I have a different plan, just – I don't want Sly knowing of it yet, cause I'm pretty sure he won't like it."

"What is it?" Bentley asks, concern strong in his voice and the fox sighs as she says: "Look, we all know that Akudo was planning something downright horrid if not unspeakable with me, right? Regardless of whether or not Sly would comply with his wishes?" And while I am amazed that she speaks of this, do we all nod.  
The fox then goes on and says: "And both Bentley and Murray can vouch that, even though he did change, apologize and became a better man, Chief Barkley is a man that cares a great deal for public images and the press." To this, while they're clearly not happy with remembering, do the two mentioned still nod.  
"So here's what I had in mind. We're going to announce to the world what Akudo had in mind for me – watered down in case kids overhear the news, of course – and then use the actual beauty of the room Sly decorated for me, along with his willingness to follow enemy orders and the rescue stunt that Penelope pulled in our favor.

If all works the way I want to, people will easily accept that, after such an event, the only place I feel safe to live in is with the gang that caught me and no one will complain that I am moving into the house of the gang I am supposed to catch. It will be seen as my method of self-defence and out of worry, the public will agree."  
This idea shocks me senseless, yet Dimitri, who of course is all about image, recovers the first from hearing it and shouts: "That – is – MAGNIFICO! What a brilliant idea! It is so Dimitri worthy! So incredibly groovy! I love it! I LOVE IT!" Yet while Bentley and I share a worried glance, can I not help but agree with the plan.

 _ **Chief Barkley's POV**_

"I don't know how that turtle managed to get my secret telephone number, but I know have him on the screen of my computer, the face of my favorite officer next to his and he says: "Chief, we need to discuss something with you. A plan of attack regarding what will happen with Inspector Fox and our gang when this is all over."  
This, while it had not really been on the forefront of my mind, makes me nod and just the way that my Inspector and the turtle himself nod makes me ask: "I take it you already have such a plan ready?" And while the turtle looks as if he would rather live without his shell forever, does he still nod at me and say:  
"Yes indeed Chief, Inspector Fox came with an idea after she and our Leader Sly, who is I am sad to say struck with a pretty bad case of the flue, had a lengthy discussion on everything that has happened, not just with Akudo, but everything else since my Team and I started going after the Fiendish Five several years ago."

This makes me cringe my lower face and I say: "Wish him the best of health. What's the plan?" And Inspector Fox explains it: "Sir, Sly and I have had some kind of reaction to each other ever since my first case with him. You know that, I know that. Heck, that traitor Neyla even tried using it against me just a few years ago."  
This makes me cringe again as the guilt of how I believed the Constable over my best Inspector still stings and I nod as she says: "This reaction, I am not sad to say, is love, Chief, and it is an emotion that runs both ways. However, both Sly and I really enjoy our chases and hunts and neither of us want to give this up.

Yet we know just fine what the public will think when they hear that an Interpol Inspector has a relationship with her target. However, what will the public say when they hear that said relationship blossomed – out of the attack of a terrifying organization against the both of them and them seeking comfort with each other?"  
This shocks me and Fox says: "I am not against lying and saying that I didn't fall for Sly until I came to know him as he offered me sanctuary and protection against Akudo until all was assured that he was locked down and whatnot, but if we can get this story published, then no one will probably mind if I move and go live here.  
And yes Chief, Sly has already provided me with a room of my own and it looks amazing. I am sending you a picture of the whole room as it is right now." And with that, do I see a small email sign appear on my screen, me opening it while keeping the connection with Bentley and Fox running and the room I see stuns me.

"Inspector, if we show this room to the public, together with the confession I already have from some of Akudo's caught men regarding you – why, some of them might just demand that you move there yesterday." This makes the Fox smile, while the turtle still seems a little uncomfortable and she then goes on and asks me:  
"So I have green light, Chief? You know my father has a strong hand in the network of news report and whatnot. He should be able to bring this story out exactly the way it will protect all of our hides from slander; mine, Interpol's and that of the Cooper Gang." To this I nod and say: "Go and contact him at once, Inspector."

And after the Fox confirms that she has understood my order, do I severe the connection, leaning back in my chair as I can only wonder one thing: "Does Inspector Fox know what Akudo actually had planned with her, regardless of Cooper's cooperation. Oh dear sweet city of Paris, I so sincerely hope that she doesn't."  
And with that do I sigh and lean as deeply back into my chair as possible, glad beyond words that I got a desk chair with recliner function as I pinch the bridge between my eyes while strongly trying to suppress the madness coming from the man who actually made his confession about Akudo's mad plans for my finest of inspectors.  
"Oh, she sure is fine, alright. Fine looking and probably fine at –." Yet here I stop the thought with a furious snarl, shocking my assistant who had just come in with some paperwork, yet I do not care for this and hiss: "Time to prove Akudo who's in charge of Paris and who protects their citizens here – the hard way." And with that, I leave office.

 _ **Adolpho's POV**_

I can just barely believe the story that I have just been told after discovering that an actual criminal hacked the system and found my phone number, which is something I thought the Government had made private for the sake of me and my family's safety seeing how most of us have been working against dangerous criminals for years.  
Still, the news I had heard last night when the news report had interrupted my wife's favorite radio program, the top 40 Hit List, had already worried me slightly about my daughter, yet what she has just told me, that she would have been targeted and captured regardless of how Cooper responded to his targeting frightens me senseless.  
What she also tells me about what would have happened to her if she had been captured, instead of saved by the collaboration of Penelope and Chief Barkley makes me ever so glad that there are actually criminals with good hearts and minds in their persons, yet the plan she developed around all of this just blows my mind.

"So let me see if I get this straight, dearest. You want to reveal to the world what could have happened to you, had it not been for the Cooper Gang and your own boss and use the care and worry that will surely come from the people once they hear this – so you can go and live with the criminal you are supposed to catch?"  
"Not everything in specifics, but we are planning to show them what Cooper has done for me due to the chemistry that has been between us since our first meeting and give off small hints of what Akudo would have planned to do with that room. Trust me, daddy, the room Sly gave me feels even better than my own apartment."  
"But you bought and decorated that entire place from your own funding and savings account. You completely decorated the whole place by yourself." I tell her, shocked that she considers a room decorated by a criminal better than one she furnished off of her own – at the time – low-ranged budget and then something happens.

The turtle that has allowed for Carmelita to have a video call with me types something in on the board computer of his wheelchair and then suddenly a picture of an incredible room shows up on my screen, right next to the video screen as Carmelita retorts: "Yes, and Sly decorated that for me all by his lonesome self, as well."  
And the fact that one raccoon can create a room that looks so much like what my daughter had actually envisioned when she first went and bought herself a house of her own and while I feel slightly put off by the fact that this criminal seems to know my daughter this well, does the turtle startle me as he says: "It's her dressing style."  
Both of us look at him and he says: "Sly always believed that Carmelita dresses as skin-revealing as some of the Greek Goddesses of Ancient Times, so he based the decorations and furnishing on that." And before my eyes do I see Carmelita turn a small tint of red, before another picture gets shown to me on my screen.

This one is of an open wardrobe and is filled to the very brim with all kinds of outfits, from shirts and vests to jeans and pants and even dresses and skirts and then Bentley says: "Sly nicked one of her police outfits – don't ask – checked the sizes, hung it back and then worked on all of these – with materials that he bought himself."  
And while I feel a little bad that this turtle seems to feel the need to defend his friend and leader, do I take another look at the picture, before the turtle types some more and before my shocked eyes do I see several more pictures appear, all of them showing Carmelita in several of these outfits and doing what looks like a fashion show.

"Carmelita, how long have you been around the Cooper Gang now?" I ask in shock and my daughter answers: "Since Barkley arrested Akudo. Penelope thought it'd be best to sacrifice Sly's cane, yet I knew what that cane meant, so I snuck out, retrieved it and then silently followed them as they got to Akudo and arrested him."  
I nod, part of me wondering what could be special about a piece of wood and some gold, even though I know that some cops probably think their pistols just as important as Cooper values his cane and then I ask the one question I know I need answered to make my decision regarding all of this and the plan my daughter just told me:

"And – since you've been staying there? How have you felt, Carmelita?" And the smile on my daughter's face says it all. Yes, there has always been some sort of chemistry between her and Cooper. Yes, her and Cooper have now accepted that for what it is. And yes, my daughter feels very happy accepting these facts.  
"Daddy, just on my first night here did Dimitri make the assumption that Murray meant me as part of the whole team being together and while this shocked the others, did I clearly see how Sly had tried to hide his disappointment when I turned the words of the lizard down. He wants me on the team – but he also wants me happy.  
And chasing his mangy tail, getting my daily exercise in ways no one could dream of, catching criminals that even people like Barkley have trouble with. I don't want to give that up anymore than Sly does, yet – I just don't want to end my day by going home and ending up somewhere I don't feel as – accepted as I do here.  
All these people have a history with me, one where I either tried to or succeeded in putting them behind bars, but – but you can't be targeted as a whole by someone as raving mad as Akudo and not grow on each other. These people are criminals, daddy, but they're the Robin Hood kind of criminals. and you know I love those."

This speech makes the turtle smile at my daughter with gratitude and caring pride on his face and while feeling as if this experience gave my daughter a whole new family, do I smile as I had always, sort of, worried that her fanatic craving to do a good job would scare off any potential partner, yet this was definitely unexpected.  
Yet, at the same time do I indeed know exactly how great my daughter has always thought about the Robin Hood kind of criminals and while it takes me a while to reminiscence, do I still feel myself agreeing with my daughter as I rethink of all the ways that Cooper has helped her capture fiends like the Claww Gang and Octavio.

"Sweety, these guys might not be your average criminal – and they are definitely not the kind of people I thought you would ever chose to hang with, seeing your amazing fanatical work ethics and whatnot, but I can see two things very clearly." I then tell the fox and turtle and while they look at me, do I say:  
"That little crippled turtle over there has more than obviously already adopted you. Maybe not as a father, but definitely like a brother. I saw that quite clearly when looking at him after you finished your explanation. What I can also see beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that your heart is in this, little vixen, and that's what matters."  
This makes my daughter smile at me and while working on saving the pictures for later and getting ready to end the video call so I can use the rest of the day to browse through the photos and think all of this through a few more times, do I smile back at my precious, little girl and whisper: "Do what's right and take care." And I close off.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's that!  
**_ _ **Well, there you have it. Carmelita is still a cop, yet her boss and father have accepted for her to change living arrangements and while it took some more work to convince her father – daddy's girl, duh – than her boss, did the both of them agree in the end and will the plan of massive publishing commence shortly.  
**_ _ **Also NO, there will be no more referring about what Akudo wanted to do to Carmelita like in the first few chapters, that is HISTORY! There will be no direct mentioning of this in the so-called planned publishing as it will be big news and you can't predict who does and who does not get to hear this – or their age.  
**_ _ **Well, next chapter might just skip a day or two, just imagine the gang getting to know each other, Carmelita taking care of breakfast and caring for a sick Sly and after the time jump will the gang attempt to see if Paris is safe once more – which for them, they will get proven wrong, but they won't be right away.  
**_ _ **Whoops spoilers,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. HAPPY 20**_ _ **TH**_ _ **ANNIVERSARY, POKÉMON! Sorry, big fan.**_


	9. Alert And Angry

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **I have some good news – though I cannot say for sure – but I might be able to borrow someone's INCREDIBLE character for one of my stories soon enough, though that won't be until the April update. This character is named Drake Lupus and he is created by ConnorDavidson who makes an incredible comic on DeviantArt.  
**_ _ **However, even if I do get to use character, it won't be for this story, I plan to have him play a Protagonist role in the story called Cooper and Wizards and quite frankly, I really hope that Connor will give me permission as I already have a brilliant story line planned around the character and what he can do in the story.  
**_ _ **Let's hope, shall we,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Two days later  
**_ _ **Carmelita's POV**_

After getting permission from both Barkley and my dad, did it take Bentley only a bit of work with the pc on his wheelchair before he managed to create an alias for himself and through this he contacted a late night writer for several publishing networks and brought out the news of how the Cooper Gang and Interpol took out Akudo.  
The turtle had even added what the henchmen of Akudo had been doing to keep him and the others sustained in their holding cells and while this had definitely increased my worry for them and my care for them and their cause grow, had Bentley made sure to add a contract to it all that made sure the press would only print their story.  
After this we had just used the rest of the day to keep calm and get over the emotions all of this brought up. I had also used the rest of the day to care for Sly and by the end of the day did the Raccoon definitely look a lot better than before and did he even feel good enough to share dinner with us back in the kitchen.

By now the Raccoon definitely feels a lot better, yet a new problem has reared its head as Dimitri has become more and more fidgety and, stupidly enough, has it taken us the last few days to realize why this is. Dimitri, having been a real Ladies Man and Dance Lover, must be feeling as he is back in a cell while underground for this long.  
And because of that, especially so close after having actually been kept prisoner for a good week, does he now behave very fidgety, has his English become even worse and just last night did he actually start an argument with both Penelope and Bentley as to why it was _stupid_ of Penelope to pick Bentley as boyfriend over him.  
At first Penelope had just ignored his advances, but then the Iguana had made a bad comment about Bentley and this had set off the temper of the protective, caring rodent and Bentley, being the kind caring turtle that he is, had gone up to help his girlfriend and defend both their prides and from this a bad argument had sprouted.  
In the end Sly had swung his cane in several quick circles above his head before slamming the tip of it on the ground with tremendous force, shocking the three of them silent and the furious look on the Raccoon's face had said more than any words he could have said, the three arguers silently moving away from each other.

Sly had not been happy with this and had, afterwards, sagged down in his chair and mumbled something that sounded a lot like _We need to get out of here_ , making me worried about why he would suddenly want to leave the Hide Out he had almost lost forever just a few days ago, but upon asking further had he explained.  
And so we had come up with an idea, had Murray left for the apparent garage that is actually attached to the upper floors of this Hide out so he could go and see if the Cooper Van was ready for travel or if it needed some work and did we all decide to leave for some little closed off park that was close to the Hide Out the next day.  
Part of me worries for Sly as he must still be feeling slight hints of his illness, yet I do agree that getting some fresh air might do the Raccoon as well as his team some good and while part of me wonders where this park is and whether or not I could have ever caught them there, do I just decide to tag along with them.

By now I am actually in yet another location I probably would have never expected me to be if it were not for the events of the previous weeks; in the back of the Cooper van with the back of my chair mirroring the back of Sly's own chair at the passenger's side at the front of van, while Bentley is near Penelope in the back.  
Murray had definitely had to do some work as he had to add a few seats into the back of the Van, yet he also had to do it in such a way that Bentley could keep his mobile electronic devices such as a computer that is build into the left wall of the van and which has an expansion arm build into the back for easy moving around the van.  
Because of this building seats for Dimitri and Panda King had been a little difficult for the Hippo, yet in the end, he had put a large seat against the left wall of the van right behind his own seat and build in a chair made of metal and a few pieces of cloth at the far back against the left of the wall and then given Dimitri a bit of pain.  
However, before allowing the Iguana the chance to let his artistic side loose, he had given him a very severe warning not to paint anything other than his own seat and the look on the Hippo's face had been so threatening the Iguana had not even said a word in response or argument and just gotten to work on his chair instead.

And while I can't exactly understand how the Lizard can appreciate the combo of colors he used to paint his seat, do I also feel very amazed by how much Murray apparently cares for his van and Bentley had told me of how they had lost the Van when going after Neyla and had retrieved it when helping Panda King in China.  
I personally can't believe how long the team have managed to go without their van and this makes my admiration of the driving Hippo increase even more. Yet then suddenly my thoughts are interrupted as the van stops and when I look around, do I see Bentley jumping out of the side of the van before helping out Penelope.

Dimitri has already practically rushed out of the van and Panda King helps me out, yet when I have gotten out myself, do I see that Sly has actually stopped Dimitri from rushing off with his cane, to which Dimitri moans and says: "Oh come on Crackerbox. Please let Dimitri groove, let me slide, let me be me."  
And while I personally feel amazed that being outdoors has already helped improve his vocabulary a little bit, does Sly say: "You can be you and groove all you want, Dimitri, as long as you make sure to stay between that green rod and that set of apple trees all the time. Stay between it and be whoever you want. Can I get your word on that?"  
The Iguana nods, the golden bent tip of the cane still around his neck and the small fin on his chin actually slapping against the cane itself and when Sly seems to believe the nods enough to prove that Dimitri will keep to his word, does he pull back the cane – only for Dimitri to practically vanish into the park only the next minute.  
"What do you think, Sly? Is Dimitri going to groove or is he going to climb?" Murray asks and Sly smirks as he says: "He's going to climb. I saw his eyes light up when I mentioned the apple trees, so we'll probably be able to find him there when we go back." This makes me giggle and then Murray intrigues me as he asks:

"You going there?" To this Sly takes a deep breath in, making me look between the two and answers: "Keep an eye on them." Which to me is indeed confirmation that Sly plans to go somewhere that apparently even Murray doesn't know the location of and then, only a second later, is the Raccoon suddenly gone from my sight.  
I look around, shocked that someone who had been badly ill only two days ago can still move so incredibly quickly and then Murray snickers and says: "Yeah, that's Sly for you. That's also the reason we never found out where this place was in the 1st place. He feels so closely attached to it, it increases all of his abilities."  
This shocks me as I can't think of any location in Paris that Sly could feel closer connected to than his own Hideout and while, at first I try to just enjoy the time I have with Guru, Murray, Penelope and Bentley out in the open, can I not help but continue to feel worried and curious about Sly, making me look around at random times.

"Carmelita." Bentley suddenly says, half an hour after we arrived and while he has moved out of his wheelchair and over to a blanket he shares with Penelope and when I look at him, does he move a thumb over to a small patch of trees that, while at first look like a very small bit of forest, lengthen out further than the eye can see.  
This silent gesture makes me smile at the gentle turtle and I move off my own blanket and roll it up, lying it against the wall that is located around the park we are in and near the actual van and then move into the forest itself, shocked that, the further I travel, the forest doesn't just lengthen, the amount of trees around me also multiply.  
I look around me, amazed that this deep looking forest is actually located in a far end of a park that is actually located at the south center of a very famous city and while this proves to me that I would have never caught Cooper if I hunted him here, do I then, after ten minutes of scouring, find the Ringtail I am looking for.

However, the location I find him in shocks me as I had been a little startled to find mist approaching me a few rows of trees away and when I moved thicker into the knee-high layer of mist, did I find myself at a pond that is just about just as deep as the mist itself and which has said Cooper drifting in the center of its watery surface.  
Sly's whole body is just floating across the watery surface and whether it is this connection Murray told me about or even the coloring of his skin reflected to the watery surface, but the whole area around the Ringtail's body actually has water that looks brighter and almost aglow with an unnatural form of light surrounding it.  
Yet it is mostly the look on his face that catches my attention as it's one of much stronger serenity than I have ever seen on his face, even more than when we cuddle together or when I helped him feel better a few days ago and this not only makes me feel even more amazed about where I am, but also sets my heart at ease over his condition.

"Want to join?" Sly then suddenly asks, shocking me as I can't imagine how he knew that I was here while he seemed in a world of his own in the center of the pond and while I suppress a startled yelp, do I see a hint of humor be added to Sly's serene smile before he opens one lazy eye to look at me and softly tells me:  
"One of my actual ancestors made this place when he felt it was his time to pass onto the next great adventure. He passed on in the center of this very pond and since then has his soul helped several generations of Coopers feel better in all ways available; mental, physical, emotional – even in spirit when necessary."  
This amazes and slightly saddens me and then Sly smiles at me as he moves his head a little bit out of the water and says: "You could try and join me, you know? Murray and Bentley are definitely close, yet they have never found this place. The fact that you did, you might just be cut from exactly the kind of wood needed to join me here."

This whole talk of joining the Raccoon in the water would have definitely made me blush, were it not for the fact that, even from here, I can see that the Raccoon is still wearing the baggy pair of pants and the tight fitting blue shirt with yellow turtleneck trim and then I smile at him and decide to just take him up on his offer.  
Seeing that the Raccoon has only taken off his Cane, which leans against an oak tree near me and his boots, do I take off my own heeled boots and pull off the belt on which I still hold my shock pistol before, just to do Ringtail a little favor, pulling off my jacket and lying all the items near his cane before I approach the pond.  
Sly smiles as he sees me do this, yet while I try to freely move through the water, can I not deny that upon my foot first reaching the water I felt something that could almost be compared to an invisible field of magic trying to resist me, yet after the first push of my paw, did I feel the same magic come to surround my form.  
And after that, with every step I take to further cross the water, do I feel more and more of this magic covering me, the sensation itself feeling similar to when a part of my body is asleep and tingles as a sign that I need to move and get the blood flowing again, yet while I do not resist this feeling, do I still push on.

Sly himself smiles as he sees me, his eyes making me wonder if he knows what I am going through and then moves his head back, his eyes again closed in the same intense bliss as before and this makes me smile in relieved happiness, yet this emotion seems to be what the magic had been looking for as suddenly – it vanishes.  
Wondering if I passed some sort of test – the same that Bentley and Murray apparently failed whenever they couldn't find this place – and when I reach where the Ringtail is lying, has he actually moved a slight bit, making a bit of room in the exact core of the pond and I happily let myself lie down and drift next to him.

Moving my body in such a way that the water almost carries me, do I again feel the same magic – which I now suspect is the soul of the passed away ancestor – pass over me and suddenly all the worries I felt over Ringtail's sickness, all my fear over Akudo's actions and all my anxiety for my job – seem light years away.  
This feeling, this sensation, as if the water is flowing over me and, as it flows away, takes all of my downtrodden and negative emotions with me, makes me sigh in a sense of relief I didn't even know I was missing and then a soft, warm voice sounds from my right as it says: "I know, right?" Making me smile even wider.  
Then, as I close my eyes, do I feel nothing but the sensation the water and the soul of Sly's ancestor as well as the ripples in the water that indicate just how close Sly is floating across the surface near me and with the knowledge that I am this close to my leader as well as in a realm as calm and serene as this makes me feel at peace.

Like this the two of us just float, neither of us saying a word and neither of us even feeling like we need to say anything as we are both just too busy relaxing, letting the water move us across the small area that is this pond and letting the soul of the ancient Cooper ancestor flow over us as it takes all of our emotional baggage.  
The two of us do, at random times, feel our forms coming close enough to each other to touch, but other than one of us taking the hand of the other and giving it a loving squeeze, do we just focus on how incredible it feels to be here, how brilliant the water feels to our touch and how relaxing it feels to let go off our worries.  
More often than not do I just feel like sighing out and I can definitely hear Sly do this a few times, my body responding by doing the same after he does, yet other than these signs of action that come from both of us, do I feel as if time has just stopped all around us, bar the rippling of the water, and the best thing is, I don't even care.

Yes, I know that I work for Interpol and that the chief is probably still busy getting all the crimes out of Akudo and his men to make sure he can put him down for life – not that he can't already. Yes, I know that I am in the presence of the biggest pain in Interpol's back as well as the silent help to us catching criminals.  
Yes, I know that the team is currently without leader somewhere outside the forest that surrounds this incredible, mystical pond. Yes, I know that they too have their own emotional baggage regarding everything that happened just last week. Yet, just lying here, letting the spirit help me and floating in the water – takes away my care.  
It takes away my care for catching criminals and helping Interpol keep the streets clean all over the globe. It takes away all of my care for how Cooper has been evading the law and justice for many of his crimes over the years. It takes away my worries that the others might get in danger when without the presence of their leader.  
It practically takes away all the worry, pain and concerns I have been feeling ever since I started considering myself an adult, graduating from the Police Academy and moving into my own apartment and replaces it with the tranquility that comes from the soft flowing motion of the water as well as the soul that guards over this place.

Yet suddenly a ripple touches my form that doesn't feel like all the others, that feels bigger, stronger and actually troubled and this makes me feel as if I just woke from a month long dream and makes me move up with the question: "What was that?" My eyes open and instantly finding my shock pistol before a grunt distracts me.  
I look at where the grunt comes from and instantly feel worried cause, like with how I felt after feeling the ripple touch me, does Sly seem to have lost all of the calm, serene tranquility it showed earlier and then he mutters: "The rest is in trouble." And while I wonder how he knows this, does he open his eyes – which are alert and angry.

* * *

 _ **Wow, what a place!  
**_ _ **Okay, so I have been believing that Sly would have a place like this for the longest time and sometimes I came up with the idea that Carmelita, on a day off, would actually find Sly here and would get affected by the environment in such a way it would help them get closer – yet this felt just as right, so yeah.  
**_ _ **For anyone wondering, just imagine one of the Sinnoh lakes from Pokémon, but then on a much smaller scale. I think the first lake shown in the Sinnoh region is the best way to describe the pond and how it looks and feels to be there. However, I DO NOT OWN THIS LAKE NOR DO I MAKE ANY PROFIT OF THIS STORY!  
**_ _ **To put it in DZ2's words, all credit to the original owner – especially, because I didn't realize that the descriptions fit until I wrote this AN. Now next chapter might just have a Boss Battle and it will actually involve a very fatal mistake made by Carmelita. Just take a close look at the starter chapter and you will get what I mean.  
**_ _ **Have fun, guys,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


	10. A Day Out - Gone Wrong

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **I am happy to announce that, even though I have 16 stories per month to post, I keep finding myself done earlier and earlier down the month for a few months now, meaning I have more and more time to work ahead. However, this does not YET mean that I can up my amount of posting from one chapter to two per month.  
**_ _ **However, there is good news hidden in this as, while I cannot promise to up my posting amounts just yet, do I still feel that, maybe starting somewhere around August-September or later, I will be able to get that done, granted that things in my personal life don't turn themselves on their head or go out of their way to keep my busy.  
**_ _ **So yeah, hooray,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Sly's POV**_

Drifting in the stream of the lake created by my ancestor many centuries ago took away everything that had been done to me by Akudo; the pain, both emotional and mental, the sickness as well as the strong sense of guilt and insecurity that I have been feeling ever since the team got back together and reunited in the Hide Out.  
However, while my friends have yet to find the lake, does the spirit of my ancestor have no problem finding them and it seems he found them not having fun and relaxing, but in some kind of pickle as it rushed back to where Carmelita and I were floating in the watery surface and surrounded me with the concern it felt for my team.  
This action apparently caused for something to alert Carmelita as well, yet while I don't know who could have found us at our secret little spot in the park, do I mutter: "The rest is in trouble." And with that, do I stand up, feeling rejuvenated, feeling all of my body healed of the flu and once more ready for any kind of fight.

Carmelita sees this as she sees me stand up and only seconds later, is she out of the lake and does she hold her shockgun in both her hands and near her head with the end of the gun aimed for the sky as she says: "Let's go." And while I can't help but worry for her in a somewhat strange sense of familiarity, do I nod at her.  
Feeling glad that I didn't undress in anyway, do I just jump out of the lake and reach for the tip of my cane with my arm while dashing for one of the lower branches of the trees surrounding the lake and while Carmelita is shocked to see me this agile once again, does she just smile afterwards and follow me by foot on land.  
Feeling my body fully healed and once more under my own control instead of that of the illness that troubled me for days, do I happily and easily dash from one tree to the next, making sure to jump in between clusters of branches and leafs to make sure I make as little noise as possible to keep the attacker in the unknown.  
Carmelita follows me from the forest floor, yet she proves that she and I have the same strategy in mind as she constantly looks from the ground in front of her to the path ahead of her, making sure not to step onto large branches or clusters of leafs that lie on the ground and like this, do we reach the clearing outside the forest.

Yet instantly upon arriving there, does Carmelita hide herself behind one of the last trees and do I move to one of the highest branches and peek through a set of branches that have just enough leafs to let me see through, while at the same time properly hiding me from view unless you were to look at my spot with real focus.  
I lower a small branch to improve my vision of the park and instantly try and spot one of my team members in the apple trees, feeling a strong sense of relief when I spot the purple scales – that is until I see that these same scales are combined with black chains and I turn away from him as I think: "Well, that's one partner less."  
And then I see that it really will just be me and Carmelita as everyone else is actually tied together in a heap of what I can only imagine are mind-numbing herbs that seem to be ignited just enough for their odor to wave up and flow into the noses of all my other team members, only to, at second glance, realize I am missing one.

Then Carmelita gasps and I look down at her before following her line of sight and my eyes widen at the same time that my blood boils over with fury as Penelope is knocked out and actually chained to the park wall, her arms hanging above her and her legs stuck to two bushes that are placed nearby and spread her form out wide.  
And to make matters worse is she not only naked, but are there already clamps on her cleavage and a chain around her neck as well as a ball in her mouth. How whoever is behind this can knock her out enough to – ugh – cloth her up like this without her waking astounds me and I think: "Time to repay a debt. I'm coming, Penelope."

"Not yet." Carmelita suddenly hisses and while I wonder how she knew that I wanted to dash for the poor mouse girl, do I look down and she hisses: "We need to know our enemy before we attack or we just run into a trap. We can't help the team if we're caught as well." To which I grunt in anger, but still give her right.  
Only at the same time that I do, does the actual set of dirt bags show themselves and they apparently are a familiar bunch as Carmelita gasps again, yet while something about them feels familiar, can I not recognize the two Weasels that walk with the Hedgehog that stops after passing the apple trees, looks around and then walks on.  
The Hedgehog is well build in muscles and has the same height as Dimitri, yet is just slightly less bulky than Murray and I have no doubt it will take a lot of teamwork from Carmelita and me to take him out. The Hedgehog has his spikes pointed outwards and has his auburn red hair wrapped around it with the tips sticking out.

"That was the Hedgehog that was keeping your cane at the Krack-Karov Volcano. Ugh, why did I not arrest him when I knocked him out? I can't believe I made such a rookie mistake." Carmelita hisses more to herself than to me, yet while angry do I not feel like blaming her as right now I need to focus on saving my team.  
"Later." I hiss at her and just when I do, has the trio reached Penelope and does the Hedgehog again look around his surroundings, obviously trying to find me, before he sighs and says: "Well, if that cane-stealing beast won't come out and show his ugly mug, I might as well just go and have some fun until he gets here.  
Wake her up, boys." To this the two ugly looking Weasels show grins that are darker and more sinister of nature than any I have ever seen on the face of some simple lackeys and while hating how they obviously intend to use the so-called toys to do this, do I, instead, focus on coming up with an escape and rescue plan.

Letting my eyes roam over the entire area and analyzing all the problems and what could be a possible solution to them, do I suddenly feel like Bentley as I instantly feel a solution come to mind and I whisper: "Carmelita, I got an idea." Which apparently draws Carmelita out of her own need to dash in and make her look up.  
I then reach for the vine that hangs from the top of the tree next to me and say: "I need you to draw their attention and put your Shockgun on just the right kind of power that it feels like getting a static shock. However, make sure to make it a powerful one or we might not be able to wake Murray up and we will need his bulk.  
In the mean time, while you draw their attention, I will swing over, from here to the team, use my cane to reach them, pick the lock and then over to Dimitri and free him. After that, all we have to do is wait for Murray and Bentley to see Penelope in her current state and they will do the rest. Just make sure to keep their attention and to shoot."

The fox seems hesitant, yet I make sure to wrap the vine around my wrist for extra security and give her a wink, telling her silently to trust me, to which she nods, focuses on the Weasels and their victim and while I make a silent dash off my branch and out into the open field, does she shout: "Yo, ugly!" Reminding me of Bentley.  
The two Weasels, who had just been able to wake Penelope up by constantly pulling on the clamps fastened to her cleavage and the Hedgehog look up shocked and Carmelita leans against her hiding tree with her back and left foot as she focuses on the big guy and asks: "Remember me, Mr. I only look in one direction?"  
This makes me hold in on a snort and makes the two Weasels look at their Hedgehog boss in shock, while Penelope shouts: "Carmelita, look out!" Yet this only broadens Carmelita's smirk and she slowly pushes off of the tree. I, in the mean time, have reached the rest of the gang and have managed to unlock their chains silently.

I send a look at Carmelita, which the fox picks up on from the corner of her eye and just in time as she smirks and says: "Yeah, they should be looking out – for this shock." And after swinging the shockgun around her finger for a few swings before taking it into her hand and shooting a perfect shot exactly at my friends.  
Penelope shouts in shock as she sees this and the eyes of the other three widen when they see where the shot is aimed for, yet by this time have I used the bulky form of Murray to run, jump and swing over to Dimitri and while the shot hits my entire team, do I use my cane to knock Dimitri back into the land of the conscious.  
The Iguana wants to shout, yet I release the vine to slap my hand over his mouth and I whisper: "Make yourself scarce, Dimitri and head for Interpol. Bentley, Murray, Carmelita and I will leave them like the Cooper Gang always does, but Carmelita didn't take her equipment with her, so someone will have to warn Barkley."

The Iguana nods and then Bentley suddenly shouts: "HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" Which makes me look away from my scurrying friend and over to where Murray has used his muscles to send Bentley's wheelchair at the three thugs with incredible speed, enough to – when he hits them – knock over both Weasels and crash into the wall.  
Yet after Murray has sent his friend rushing over and while Carmelita makes sure to keep the Hedgehog busy with blasts shots from her shockgun, does Murray use the distraction of the sweet inspector to rush at the bastard of a thug together with Panda King, yet the Guru doesn't as he instead looks at me.  
I lock eyes with the small purple Panda and he reaches the tip of his cane out to me, making me smirk and use the trunk of the tree I am still leaning against as leverage to jump over to him and then use the movement of the Guru's arm to further power up my next jump, following this up twice more with the shoulders of Murray and Panda King.

Both of them halt their steps for only a second, yet their speed and the power of Guru launching me with his cane allows me to jump high and far enough to actually reach the Hedgehog, who seems too shocked to see me arrive out of nowhere and I hiss: "Here's the cane-thief." Before giving the mammal a firm whack.  
The man's neck snaps back and I use the rest of my momentum to land against the park wall, using my cane to help Bentley free Penelope, the turtle actually pulling himself out of his own shell after we've cut all of her binds and while uncomfortable, does Penelope still smile gratefully as she slides her slimmer form into the shell.  
Then I look up and smirk as Panda King has the Hedgehog's arms behind him, using the wristbands around the mammal's arms to keep his arms behind him by hooking them into his own spikes, while at the same time the beast looks dazed, obviously shot by Carmelita, while he is also being knocked out by Murray's Flaming Fists.

I whistle at the large hippo and when the two of them look at me, does Panda King release his hold on the Hedgehog, who responds by falling onto the grassy terrain under him, Murray only looking at the beast for a second before I say: "Let's go and head home. Guru, enchant that bastard to remain asleep until the authorities get here."  
"But Sly –." Carmelita tries saying and I smile: "Don't worry, gorgeous, that is what Dimitri is for. He rushed to warn Barkley just before Bentley let out that battle cry. I'm sure Barkley will be here in ten minutes max." The fox nods and smiles and after a quick enchantment of the Guru, do we all hit the van and then the road home.

* * *

 _ **Okay, that is it!  
**_ _ **And I have MORE GOOD NEWS! This is the SECOND TO FINAL CHAPTER of this story. Next chapter will be about the end of the week, Carmelita returning to Interpol for a short amount of time, maybe a little more Akudo – in a good, we-won-you-lost kind of way and the whole chapter ending with Carmelita going home.  
**_ _ **So, starting June, I have the chance to have another story replace Dangerous Threats. Either that or I will use the time I now no longer have to use on this story to revamp and re-edit the Reading Series. YES, I AM HEARING YOU! I know you love that series and I love it too, only I am just not yet ready to post that series along with the others.  
**_ _ **Hope you understand,**_

 _ **Venquine1990  
**_ _ **PS. YEAH, ONE MORE CHAPTER!**_


	11. The End Of The Week

_**Hey everyone,  
**_ _ **WOW! I knew this story wouldn't be overly long, yet still I find myself amazed that I am actually writing the final chapter for this story. This story, along with a few others, was actually my motivation to set up the Once-A-Month-Posting schedule and now it's actually finished – which makes me happy as well as sad.  
**_ _ **Now, as for the schedule, I have some bad news. I have decided to postpone the possibility of posting two chapters a month to sometime next year. Why you may ask? Because I first want the absolute certainty that I have both the time and the proper chance to write these chapters, which I currently just don't.  
**_ _ **I am running ahead, just not with enough of my stories to make the solid promise of more than one chapter per month and feel confident I can keep with this promise. Because of this do I first want to find the time to run ahead with multiple stories – instead of just 2 or 3 out of 15 – before I can come true about this change of plans.  
**_ _ **Well, end of the story,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_

* * *

 _ **Carmelita's POV**_

"It's just amazing how much can change in the little amount of time of a single week. At the start of this week I had just been doing my job and suddenly got overwhelmed with the concept that I was to be an actual target for some disgusting criminal organization – and now I am living alongside my biggest target and his gang."  
These thoughts go through my mind as I am, yet again, admiring another one of Sly's incredible creations in the large mirror that has been build into the large closet that has my cloths and for the umpteenth time am I just amazed at how well Sly knows both what colors fit my looks as well as all of my sizes.  
I have actually been doing this every day of my stay here, partially to see what cloths I should put on for the day, partially because I just love the visual evidence of the Ringtail's adoration and respect for me and then the smooth voice of my dreams says: "So, that's why you're always the last to arrive at breakfast, is it?"  
And when I look at the doorway, do I see my smooth, ever charismatic and charming Raccoon leaning against the doorway with his back, pretending to be some mysterious bad guy with how he has his head tilted so that his blue peasant's cap actually hides his eyes from me, making me giggle at how amazing he portrays the act as I say:

"What can I say, I admire good talent." Making Sly tilt his head up just enough I can see the shadows of his gaze staring at me, making me giggle again as he now looks even more mysterious and badass before I say: "Shouldn't you be starting breakfast yet, Ringtail?" To which the raccoon tops me as he smirks and says:  
"Already finished. I just lost the battle with my curiosity and decided to see why you were always last." To this I smile and then the Raccoon sends me a loving wink and mutters: "See you downstairs." Before closing the door behind him, giving me back the privacy of my room, while his pose had helped me decide on my outfit.

And so a little while later, my hair having undergone a serious battle with the curler that Murray had brought over from my own place after it had been established that I would permanently move here and my eyelashes and lips having been treated by my make-up set, do I come down into the kitchen, instantly drawing attention.  
Yet it is not the way that my hair curls around my shoulders, ears and the smallest part of my waist, or the way that my dark eyeliner and lipstick accentuate the color of my eyes and curling shape of my lips. It's the red, white and black striped flamingo shirt and skirt that I am wearing that has everyone's eyes boggling out of their sockets.  
Sly himself has a very appreciative look on his face as I keep one hand just above my swaying hips as I slide over the kitchen floor towards the group and when I sit down, do I smirk at all the gobsmacked faces and say: "Thank your leader." Before grabbing some food off the table and filling up my plate, Sly laughing as I do.

"What on earth did I do that made you decide on that brilliance of a performance, my fine Inspector?" And while him calling me inspector again reminds me that, starting tomorrow, my time off will be officially over, do I calmly say: "You were trying to act all mysterious and badass like you were one of those old time Mexican cowboys.  
I just decided to go along with that image and that made me decide on this here outfit." To this Sly happily cuts up his pancakes, yet also shocks me as he says: "I don't remember where or when I gave you that kind of impression, but I am definitely pleased with the unexpected results. So kudos for me doing things without knowing."  
And this is enough to draw his team out of their shocked stupor and get them all focused on their own breakfast, simple and meager conversations of the activities that the members what to do to spend the last of their _week off_ as we have begun to call it, whereas Sly just draws me into conversation about adventures we both greatly enjoyed.

Then breakfast ends and Dimitri and Sly work together on the dishes, yet before I can leave the kitchen, does Sly's tail stop me, making me look at his smirking face before he says: "Wait upstairs for me, will you gorgeous?" And just the loving, excited look in his eyes makes me tingle from head to toe before nodding.  
More than half an hour later does Sly arrive at my room, a CD in his hand and a large smile on his face as he knocks on my open door, me sending him a playful questioning look, which just makes the playfulness in his excited grin increase before he moves over to the large radio station that is located in the far back corner of my room.  
Yet while he does this, do I also notice that the reason Sly took longer than I expected to get here, is because he is suddenly dressed in the same tuxedo as the one he wore at Rajan's party, which only makes him look even more dashing than his usual outfit does and then the music – which I recognize as Spanish – starts to play.

And suddenly, as Sly turns around, does he have a rose between his teeth, where the flower came from completely boggling my mind, yet the challenging way that he raises his eyebrow making it quite obvious to me that the Raccoon has no intention whatsoever to make my last day off here go by without special events.  
At this I happily get up off my bed and strike any possible creases out of my layered skirt before taking a very enticing pose by lying my left hand just above my right hip and holding my right arm above my head in a curve before bending my left foot in front of my right and gaze at the Ringtail as I hiss: "Olé."  
At this Sly smirks, claps his hands besides his head and then starts moving my way in the rhythm of the music, me happily taking one side of my skirt in hand as I follow his example, yet when we reach each other, do we move in circles around the axis between us, locking eyes, yet not grabbing hands or really touching the other.  
And I will not deny it. The way that Sly moves his body to the music, the way that his eyes and gaze entice mine and draw me in to keep hold of the locked gaze we share and the way that he moves closer to my form, only for the music to make him move a step back and out of arm's reach make me want the raccoon more and more.

Yet while we dance, do we seem not to remain in one location of the room – probably because we are too enchanted with the gaze of the other and suddenly my right leg and Sly's left hip bump against something hard, both of us losing both our focus and our footing, yet before we can fall, does Sly pull me on top of him.  
And just like that do we end up on top of each other, lying on the now very wrinkled covers of my bed while our fall made the pillows fall off and Sly's muzzle only an inch under mine making me able to take in his breath and me to fill his lungs with my own as both of our eyes are wide before suddenly, as if out of instinct, Sly responds.  
The raccoon tightens his hold on my waist with one arm and uses the other to grasp my head, yet before I can fully understand why, does he pull my face that last inch towards his own, do his eyes close with love and does he kiss me with a fiery passion that proves all the love, lust, respect and admiration the thief feels.  
These emotions overwhelm me and I do the only thing I can in response. I moan in pleasure and take Sly's long furry cheeks in both of my own hands, pulling him even closer and tilting my head to deepen the kiss. And while we drown in the love we feel for each other, do I feel Sly undressing my shirt – and I let him.

* * *

 _ **SORRY, BUT I AM NOT WRITING LEMON!**_

* * *

 _ **Later that day**_

I don't really recall what happened or how I ended up back in bed, but when alertness slowly pushes away the content drowsiness that overwhelms my senses, do I also feel warm radiant beams of light pushing against my closed eyelids, trying to wake me yet also confusing me as I know that the sun doesn't rise on my side of the house.  
I peek one eye open, seeing the sun shining just above the top part of the window, yet bright enough for its radiance to shine into my room and when I turn my head away from the brightness – do my eyes widen at what I see is lying on my other side. Or better said who is as a naked Sly Cooper lies besides me, sleeping peacefully.  
The raccoon is lying just high enough above me that his chest lies above the covers along with his bare arms and the fact that he is actually in my bed without cloths makes me instantly reach under the covers with one of my hands, yet to my confused relief, do I feel that I am still wearing my multi-layered skirt.

"I would never." I then hear a soft muttering besides me as I had gone to lift the covers enough to see myself still wearing it and this makes me lower the covers again and look at him, the raccoon now having a simple smile on his muzzle as he smiles at me and he whispers: "As much as you entice me, we are just not there yet."  
And this makes me remember it. Yes, Sly and I had landed in a very compromising situation. Yes, I had pulled the blue turtleneck off of my Ringtail and yes, this had happened after letting him undo the buttons on the back of my shirt, yet the Ringtail had stopped me after my hands had started caressing down his muscled abs.  
He had then told me the same thing, yet we had still explored each other's upper body and the way that Ringtail had caressed and shown love to my cleavage with his hands and mouth along with the loving, yet hungry kisses that he had shared with me had still brought me over the edge before falling asleep in his arms.

This memory makes me happily smile at Sly and I wrap one arm around him before pulling him on top of me, just like he had been when adoring my body earlier today and while happily letting my fingers run through the longer parts of his fur, do I hear him whisper: "We weren't ready yet, but I cannot and will not deny you true pleasure."  
Making me look up from where my hand had been drawing patterns through his thick fur and along his abs and up into his loving eyes as I whisper: "You were definitely right, yet I wouldn't have it any other way." I then sigh and return my gaze to my wandering finger as I say: "I could just – heh – lie here forever."  
Making me spot how Sly's smile broadens from the corner of my eye and then Sly grabs my hand, pulls it to his face and whispers: "Same here, as long as you continue looking as ethereally gorgeous as you do now – which I know you do and will." Making me happily pull the Ringtail close for another loving kiss.

 _ **Again later**_

I don't really know what to expect of this last day, yet I do know that there is one thing I have to do before anything else and that is report to the chief and see if he has anything for me for the upcoming week. And so I change myself out of my tango outfit and back into the uniform I wore at the park and let Murray drive me to Interpol.  
I will admit that taking the van of a known criminal to the headquarters is a form of irony that definitely doesn't escape me, yet Murray seems terrified of the actual building and so parks around the corner a few blocks away and then sends me a loving smile; the kind a big brother sends his little sister on her first day at school.

This makes a small blush dust my cheeks, yet I happily push it away and kiss the big guy on his cheek to thank him and ask him quietly to wait for me before I leave the van, yet before closing the door, do I say: "If you feel that any of the officers might be onto you, get away. Sly gave me a Binocucom and I know the Hide Out's coordinates."  
The Hippo nods and says: "The Murray will stay safe and – if you return to him – keep you safe on his way back. That's a promise." Making me smile at him before I close the door of the van and cross the last few blocks to the large square shaped, four-story building, yet before I can cross the last part of the block does something happen.

The door busts open and a large, bulky Golden Retriever with ridiculous pirate costume comes running out, blasting an actual cannon ball out of the cannon under his left arm as he shouts: "You're not getting me alive! I will avenge my captain! Cooper and his Gang will pay for their trickery! Long live Captain – GAAAAAHHHH!"  
He then suddenly shouts before losing consciousness as the electricity of my shock-pistol knocks out his nervous system and I put my weapon back in the holster on my hip as I turn from the insentient mammal to the shocked officers standing in the doorway as I ask: "Why do villains always want to hold ridiculous monologues?"  
Causing for a large set of horns to honk in the near distance behind me, making me smirk as it must be Murray who saw it all happen from his own Binocucom and while two large buffalo officers pull the lifeless form inside, do others smile as they welcome me in, a lot of them smiling and congratulating, yet none of them really speaking.

And while I am more than aware that they are doing this out of respect for what happened last week, do I then see one of the female officers that I love working with and I ask the little gazelle: "Annette, could you tell the rest of the office that I found a special pond that healed me both mentally and emotionally? Thanks dear."  
The gazelle has wide eyes as she gets my silent message and then smiles as says: "Good for you, Carmelita, and good luck." And while nodding at her, do I then continue down the path to my boss' office, part of me feeling right at home back at the familiar stone floors and broken white painted walls with office glass-stained doors.

Yet when I arrive at office and ask: "Hey Chief? You got something for me tomorrow?" Does the Badger smile at my enthusiasm and say: "No sorry, Inspector. All I got is some orders I would like you to convey to my new partner; your – ahem – partner in crime." And while I roll my eyes at his lame joke, do I ask:  
"And what is the message, Chief?" Does the Badger shock me as he says: "Leave. Paris. Alone." This completely floors me and I ask: "Leave Paris? But – but – but why?" Yet Barkley shakes his head and says: "No, no, no. I don't want him _leaving_ Paris, I want him to leave Paris _alone_ as in I don't want him commencing heists here anymore."  
And while this does make me feel a little more relieved, especially seeing how all of this started, do I ask: "Still, chief, why?" To which the chief says: "Why? Because it'd be a waste of your bloody talent, that's' why! Goodness grief, Fox, you and Cooper know Paris like your own form, there'd be no challenge if he stole here.  
Plus, it'd be way too easy for you to arrest him that way. If he were to steal anywhere in Paris, just wait for him at the Hide Out. No, if you and him are to start living in the same place, he might as well step up his game, give you a challenge and make sure you have to chase him outside of our fine city. Am I right or am I right?"

This absolutely floors me for a second time and the chief seems to pick up on this as he raises his arms up and says: "Hey, don't look at me like that, it was the people up floors that thought of it. They want to take advantage of your new cooperation and thought it could help give Paris the reputation Safest City Worldwide."  
This makes me roll my eyes as it does sound like something my boss' superiors would think off and then Chief calms down and pulls up some of the files on his desk as he says: "Now, just stay calm, return to base and keep your communication open. If either Cooper or us find any criminal activity outside of town, you'll know."  
At this I nod and say: "I'll let Cooper known, thanks chief." My boss nods, his eyes focused on the paper in his hand as I leave the office and the building, walking out and finding Murray's van back in the same alley as before and while I get in and give him a smile, do I feel excited about starting my new, strange, but fascinating career.

* * *

 _ **And that is it!  
**_ _ **Yep, for the end I wanted to throw in some general stuff, some humor, romance, a bit off not-written lemon, a bit of adventure and more humor and I think I captivated all of it quite nicely. There might not be the same level of action as last episode, but I still think the story ended just right – and maybe with chance for a sequel.  
**_ _ **Now I'm sure a lot of you are cursing me for that little pause in the middle of the chapter and the whole message that I won't write lemon, but there are two things I want to point out – 1. Sly and Carm never went all the way. 2. I said I wouldn't write lemon, not that I wouldn't write a summary of the lemon experience afterwards.  
**_ _ **Okay, see yah all,**_

 _ **Venquine1990**_


End file.
